The PokeMiracle
by StarLion
Summary: Down on his luck, and in a tight spot, a young man needs and asks for a miracle - but never expects the miracle that happens to him, turning him into a pokemon, taking him somewhere he never expected to be. A new life, new experiences... and some persistent trainers that keep trying to catch him!
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Welcome people, to my second Pokemon story! I haven't written one of these for a while, and that was a oneshot anyway. But as regular readers of my story will already know, sometimes I get these inspirations that I just have to write, and this is one of them.

As usual of course, I don't own Pokemon and such. Additionally, this is *not* a Mystery Dungeon like story. It is not even inspired by Mystery Dungeon. Well, alright. Maybe a tiny little bit. I can understand why people would think it is once you get to the second chapter, but it isn't.

Lastly, with the exception of this prologue chapter and _maybe_ if I use them any interludes, the story is written in a first-person, as it happens right now, present tense view. This is not something I've tried before, and I've already found it to be more challenging. But I have ideas that might work better with it, so I'm sticking with it.

And now, with that... read on and enjoy, dear readers!

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><p>I hate the voices in my head. They've been there forever, but not all the time – if that makes any sense. Sometimes they're there and I hear these random, disconnected phrases, as if I'm hearing fragments of people talking. Sometimes they're not, and those times can be short or long. They come to me even if I'm sleeping.<p>

_Stay in the grass..._

_...not common around here..._

_...strangers stick out._

Sometimes they sound like they make sense on their own, but each one is a different voice. Some of them sound threatening, others seem to be warning me. But only rarely is there a friendly voice. The rest of the time they're always like this.

_Not safe for you here..._

_...don't trust you..._

_...leave us alone._

They make it sound like I'm some kind of stranger, some unique... thing. Like I'm not even human, like I'm some alien creature. They're afraid of me sometimes, but sometimes they understand, like when they're warning me. Other times they just don't want to know, when they're talking about staying away.

_Not like us..._

_...stay away from him..._

_...protect ourselves._

The friendly voice doesn't make himself known often. I don't think the voices are even aware of each other. They could be from anyone, anywhere. He doesn't say much or often, but when he does...

_Always be friends..._

_...your friends too..._

_...won't be alone._

...his words, his voice is always different. But I've come to accept that they're just voices in my head. As he says, I don't let it bother me. I don't know where the voices come from or why I hear them, but I know I always have a friend in him.

At least... all that... it's what I used to think. Miracles happen. Sometimes they don't look like miracles until you look a little closer. Sometimes, one person's miracle can be another's curse. But a curse is a miracle too – it's something miraculous, but not necessarily good. But they do happen.

And one day... I had a miracle. Of course, there was a lot of shock and terror involved, but there were also good times, fun times, times I never wanted to end. I had a lot of bad times too, especially near the start just after it happened, but things changed, and I learned to treasure the good times and use them to keep me going through the bad times.

Oh, right. I should tell you who I am, shouldn't I? Or should that be, who I _used_ to be? I still have a bit of trouble with it. See before my own miracle, and to most of my friends afterwards, I'm Alex, short for Alexander Nanaky – yeah, I know. Weird name. It's not like I got to pick it. I also used to be a fairly normal, every-day college student, as long as you didn't notice that I grew up in an orphanage and largely spent most of my life on my own once I was old enough to take care of myself.

I didn't stand out much, I didn't have many friends, I kept to myself, and my grades were at best, average. I was about as invisible as it was possible to be. I used to take to wandering around a lot, largely because I didn't have anything else to do. Being on my own often meant I didn't have much to spend on anything, and if I did get something, it had to be something that would last or something I absolutely needed. I had to be practical about it, because I could never be sure when I might need the money for something more important.

When I left college, that turned out to be more important than ever. Work was hard to find. Too many places preferred hiring foreigners that could barely speak a whole sentence in our language, simply because they could be paid less. Other jobs always required some kind of certification or card that was too far out of my reach to afford. Then there's the other category of jobs – the ones that you have to have experience for. I used to wonder about those. How are you supposed to get the experience to get the job, if you need to have the job to get the experience? How does anyone even get into those kind of jobs?

After a while the local council stopped paying me benefits because they refused to believe I was actually trying to find work. It didn't really matter what I tried, all I got was a glaring silence, and once in a while a canned rejection – you know the kind, the letters which are all written in advance as 'Dear Insert Name Here'. Doesn't do wonders for your self-esteem, let me tell you.

I know I'm summarising a lot here. I don't want to bore you with the details of my life before the miracle happened to me, because there's really nothing to it but a lot of unfortunate stuff. It helps to understand though.

After a bit of this I just lost heart and didn't see the point in carrying on. Oh don't look at me like that, I didn't mean suicide – not that I hadn't thought of it once or twice. Up until then I always had hope that something would happen, but faced with the last of my savings running out and as a result, looking at losing my home, I gave up.

I've never been a religious person. I couldn't even tell you what the difference was between one religion and another. But for the first time, on the last night I knew I was going to have a roof over my head, I prayed. I prayed that someone would hear, that someone would answer and something would happen.

I prayed for a miracle, despite knowing that this sort of thing just doesn't happen. That, of course, was before the miracle actually happened.

I should explain something at this point. I always knew that Pokémon was a game, an anime, one based on the other – I could never remember which. It was something I'd never played or watched. It was something that didn't exist except as a figment of someone's imagination.

Boy was I wrong, and wrong in a big way.

The last thing I remember was simply going to sleep, the same as I'd always done. Not expecting an answer or anything to happen. Just expecting to wake up as usual.

Well. I suppose I woke up, at least. I just didn't get the rest of it.


	2. First Steps

I wake slowly, which isn't like me. Normally I'd be jerked into wakefulness by an alarm clock blaring. If it didn't go off, it took ages for me to reach back to the world of the living. Steadily I start to notice things that are just slightly off to usual.

There are no sounds of the street and town outside my house. None of the morning traffic, engines roaring, people chattering, not even a single distant siren. Instead, I hear a gentle susurration of grass and leaves moved by a quiet breeze, the same breeze lightly caressing me.

I feel like I'm laying on my front, arms stretched out on either side of me – which is an odd position to sleep in. I don't want to open my eyes just yet to find out why I feel strange or why I can hear sounds of nature around me. I'm just listening to the world around me.

Faint words. Not in a language I know – at least, not one I knew last night. But I can understand them perfectly. I know they aren't in the same language I speak, but I can interpret them with perfect fluency. I can't make out more than a few words, nothing to make sense of.

OK. So. I'm somewhere natural. That feeling of something brushing against me is probably more grass. That's probably what's also trying to tickle my nose. Why does my nose feel like it's further away than it should be? And why can I feel my ears moving? I've never been able to move them before.

Now I'm starting to get concerned. Either this is a very vivid dream, or something weird is going on. I don't feel right at all. Something really isn't right here. I have to look.

Grassy fields ahead of me, scattered trees, check. So far so good. At least I'm seeing what I'm hearing. Right in front of me... are these... paws? Yellow paws? ...my paws? And my nose... it's always hard to focus on your nose, but it definitely looks yellow to me, and more pointed than usual.

I try to move what I'm used to thinking of as my arms so I can push myself up, and sure enough, these paws, my new front legs, react. Followed by my legs – my _back_ legs. God this feels so weird! Four legs! How do cats and dogs walk with four legs... one front and one back leg at a time... OK, I think I can do this. I'm not too unsteady on my feet. Paws. But I guess having four legs instead of two is gonna be a bit more stable.

What about the rest of me... yeah, I'm definitely very yellow. Except for this kinda... mane, I guess? Just plain white. And I'm kinda spiky looking. Something itches on my side, and without thinking I move to scratch it. Using one of my back legs. Must be some kind of natural thing... like instinct or something.

What next... look about. Where am I? I mean I know I'm in some field somewhere with trees in it, but is there anything familiar? Doesn't look like it. Bit of a forest behind me, some taller grass to the left. Looks like there's some movement in there, but I'm so much closer to the ground now I can't see in. Everything looks so different from down here! And not just because I have no idea where I am.

There's a pool of water nearby. If I jump that edge beside it, I can probably get back up again. Might take me a little while, I'm still getting used to this new form, but I can try. But in a moment. Looks like... is that a house through the trees on the other side of that pool? It's hard to make out, but it could be.

OK. So. I'm in a field somewhere, with a forest on one side, a pool with possibly a house on the other side, and in the distance there's a mountain rising up above the treeline. And another one in the opposite direction, but further in the distance. Looks like there's some clouds over that one.

I have no idea where I am. I have no idea _what_ I am. But right now a drink sounds like a good idea. I can see what my face looks like in that water too. Then I'm going to have to see about getting something to eat. What do I eat now? I don't even know. Maybe there's others like me around here?

I head over to the pool, scrambling carefully down the rocky ledge, having to tumble at the bottom. There are slight crackling sounds as I move and rub against things, sounds almost like static electricity, but I don't feel anything. Maybe it's just my imagination. Drink after I look, I think.

Yeah, I thought so. More yellow, with that white mane. I've got a pair of tall ears though, and it definitely looks like I can move them. Something rustles in the trees and without even thinking about it, one ear is already orienting on them.

Sounded like a bird landing. Probably nothing to worry about. Now how am I going to actually drink like this...? Cats just lap it up... but am I some kind of cat? I really need to know what I am. For now, I'll just settle for dipping my... what's the right word... my muzzle? I think that's it. Whatever, just dipping under the water. It's easier to drink that way. I just have to keep my nose out of the water. Not easy. Gotta learn to lap it up sometime.

This is gonna leave me with problems. What am I gonna do if I need hands for something? I'm pretty sure there's a whole load of things I can't do with paws. But then again... maybe if I can get used to this, there won't be any need?

I really need something to eat though. Time to check out that house, I think. I don't like the idea of stealing, but I like the idea of starving even less. And maybe if they mistake me for some kind of animal, I mean I do look like one, they'll understand. If there's anyone there... and if they see me. I don't know if I should or shouldn't be seen.

For now, I think I'll keep out of sight and go through these trees. They loom so tall over me now! Further in the trees there's another spiky creature, but not yellow like me. It looks more like a raccoon. Light and dark brown fur alternating over it, and it looks like just about anything fascinates it. It doesn't seem to have noticed me yet, and if it is, maybe it won't be threatening. I'll ignore it for now.

A fence? I didn't notice this before. Must have been because this is a hill, I didn't see down so well. It's not particularly high though. It looks more like it was made to keep people out, not animals. Looks like a small house too. I can't see anyone in there, but it's harder to see from down here.

The gaps in the fence are just narrow enough for me to squeeze through. It's a tight squeeze and those crackly sounds are louder. I wish I knew what they were and what they meant. But I manage to wiggle through and out on to the other side. Again without thinking I shake myself afterwards, a bit like a wet dog, but not so vigorous. More itches to scratch from that. Being this way has it's own share of things to think about, that's for sure!

There's something in the air, a scent I didn't notice before. Is it coming from the house? A twig snaps and my ears both turn toward it before I do. It's that brown raccoon again. Not a threat. I sigh and start around the house, keeping my ears tall and alert, listening for any sign I might have been found. A white bird watches me from a tree, but doesn't come near.

Voices inside the house. At least two. They sound old. And there's another one, but it sounds different, almost tinny. Like a radio, or a TV – not quite the same as a real voice. They must be watching or listening to something. Well, there's no door here at the back of the house, and being this much lower down, I can sneak below the window without being noticed so much easier. That scent is coming from just beyond here.

Another fence? And... are those... bushes? Small trees? I've never seen anything like them before. There are whole rows of them, every one of the different! And there's berries on them – something to eat!

There's a window on this side of the house, and I can see two people sat watching a TV. If they look to their left, they'll see me. But if I run past the end of the fence, the fence and the... the... bushes should conceal me. Now, running with four legs... time to practice out of their sight. Just in case.

Ah, now this is easy! And so much less exhausting than running used to be! It's like leaping forward almost. Back feet push off, front feet down, pull forward. Back feet down again, pull away. Bunching and springing almost. I could get to like this!

Alright! Out of sight. And the raccoon is watching me. What's with... him? I can't even tell. Finding out can wait, I want to try some of these berries. I have to squeeze through the fence again, but that's not a problem, this one looks a bit wider.

I look about to make sure there's no one watching. No people... no _human_ people, anyway. And I can't see them in the house any more. Now how to get to these berries? Maybe shake them down? These ones smell delicious. The bush looks kinda like a giant, wild, indigo hairdo to me, and the berries are a pink triangle... maybe heart shape, but that might just be because of the leaves.

The bush isn't all that stiff. Just pushing with both front paws shakes it easily – though I'm kinda unsteady on just two feet. This new form of mine definitely seems better with all four feet firmly on the ground.

Oh, hey! One of the berries! No, three! Lucky for me. Sweet things too, as delicious as they smell. I gotta remember this place. So many berries to try here... but I better not gorge on them. If these berry bushes belong to that old couple in the house, they'll start to notice.

"Hey!" a voice calls. I carry on eating, but turn an ear toward it to listen. And show I'm listening. That's gonna be useful. "Hey, Jolteon," the voice calls. "Snag me a few berries too?"

I look up. It's that raccoon!

"You mean me?" I ask. It sounds like growls, but it's intelligible to me. Maybe it is to him too?

"Well yeah, you see any other Jolteons in the area? C'mon, just a few berries. The humans don't mind, that's why they grow so many!"

So I'm a Jolteon. Well, that's useful to know, while at the same time meaning absolutely nothing to me. But after I finish this berry I shake down some more and toss them through the fence to him. At least I assume him. He sounded male to me.

"You're..." I start, hoping that by leaving it hanging he'll answer.

"Zigzagoon," he says distractedly, sniffing intently at the berries, then happily tucking into them. "Surely you knew that? I mean, what Pokémon doesn't recognise another Pokémon?"

"One who's never played the games," I mutter quietly. Thankfully he doesn't hear. That could have been hard to explain. But I have to tell him something, right? How would he react if I said I was a human being before though? "I lost my memory," I answer, knowing how lame it sounds. "I don't remember anything before this morning."

Zigzagoon finishes the berries first. Probably as hungry as I was I guess, but they were tasty berries. That could be the reason too. After he licks his... lips? I honestly don't know. But afterwards he says, "You can't be native here. Never seen a Jolteon in these parts before. Or even an Eevee. Well an Eevee once. But she belonged to a Trainer. You know you evolved from an Eevee?" The words keep tumbling out as if he can't keep up with himself.

"No memory, Zigzagoon," I remind him gently.

"Right. But you did. You were an Eevee once. Maybe you've got a Trainer? Or maybe you found one of those, whaddya call 'em, thingies, wossnames, Thunderstones! That's the one. That's what makes Eevees turn into Jolteons. Never seen a wild one before. Jolteon I mean, not a Thunderstone."

"You know this area though, right? You can help me try to remember everything about being a Jolteon?"

"Oh, sure. We wilds look out for each other. Speaking of wilds, quick, into the trees!"

"Huh? What?" I'm a little surprised, he seems concerned. I follow, turning my ears to listen. Footsteps! Uh-oh! Was I seen?

Zigzagoon leads me behind a thick tree trunk with bushes around and we look back on either side. A tall youth with white hair – no, that looks more like a white cap and a black band. A red shirt with short sleeves and long dark pants.

"Trainer," Zigzagoon whispers. "The Poké Balls on his belt give it away."

Behind him another creature, another Pokémon maybe, comes into view. About half as tall as his trainer and green, but with a red chest. There are leaves on its arms that make it look almost like wings.

"Damn," the trainer says. "I could have sworn I saw a Pokémon over here. It wasn't just me, right?"

The Pokémon nods to his trainer, and I heard him say, "Bit of a strange place to see a yellow Pokémon though. I didn't think any lived around here."

The trainer didn't seem to understand anything more than the nod.

"Can't he hear him?" I whisper.

"Humans don't understand us," Zigzagoon tells me. "I've heard some Pokémon learn to speak Human, but otherwise they never understand. All that trainer knows is that his Grovyle also saw you. Only one yellow Pokémon in these parts, and that's you. Well, sometimes there's a Kecleon, but they change colour at will, and they prefer greens so they blend in more around here."

"Oh well," the trainer says, sighing. "Better luck for us next time, eh?"

The Grovyle just nods, following his trainer. He pauses just before the bushes conceal him, looking back to where we're hiding, but we hear his trainer call him and he disappears.

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><p><strong>AN: ** For the curious, the reasons I went with Jolteon are first that they're one of my favourites, second there's no need to figure out how to describe the process of evolution, and third... well, having to adapt to a four-legged, no-handed form was a huge part of the original idea.

Now, go ahead and review, tell me what you think - if the story shows interest, I might make this new regular weekly story update.


	3. Near Miss

Zigzagoon's a good friend, but a bit erratic. He lives up to his name, always zigzagging around, constantly curious about everything. His mind is just as bad, it seems to leap from thought to thought all the time, and he can only just barely keep up when he's talking.

The Pokémon here call this place Hoenn, and I'm somewhere on the main landmass. The old couple I saw are the Berry Master and his wife. Well, that explains all those berries at least. All the Pokémon in this area stop by for berries from time to time, because the old couple like to see us. It also makes this a prime spot for Pokémon trainers to turn up in search of the more elusive local Pokémon, and that now includes me.

Zigzagoon seems set on staying a wild Pokémon. I think I want to as well. Having to battle at the whim of a trainer? Well I guess if I wasn't treated badly I wouldn't mind so much, but I'd prefer my freedom. I only just got here, and if this is the result of my wishing for a miracle, then I'd like to look about and enjoy it a bit more.

"You wanna be careful if you start wandering around," Zigzagoon warns me. "Unless you find some place where there are other Jolteons in the wild, you're gonna stick out everywhere. Stay in the grass, that's my advice. Your yellow will still be obvious, but if you stay low and listen for Trainers you'll probably be able to avoid them best. Staying out in the open is an invitation for them to go after you. Oh, and watch out for Ground type Pokémon too."

"Why, what's so bad about them?" I ask, finally getting the chance to say something. It seems like I have to wait for him to run out of breath before I can get a word in.

"Bad? Nothing bad, Jolteon. But you're an Electric type. Ground types will leave you hurting way too quickly. I only gotta look out for Fighting types, but there aren't any round here. Even the trainers mostly prefer Psychic types."

I wish I'd gotten a Pokémon game so I knew this sort of thing. It leaves me wondering what else is out there I have to be concerned with.

"What happens if they get me? Will I..." I'm not even willing to say it.

Zigzagoon seems to misunderstand – but it sounds like he's clarifying something else about the games that I never really noticed before.

"Will you what? Faint?" he asks. I just nod. "Sure. But then you make a big target. A fainted Pokémon is super easy to catch. Some bird and water Pokémon will take the opportunity to go for you too, they're normally weak to you Electrics. Don't be surprised if they don't treat you so good."

And that of course brings up another pressing, and somewhat embarrassing question on my mind.

"I don't even know how to _be_ an Electric type. I mean, what I actually... do."

Zigzagoon pauses and cocks his head to one side curiously. "Really? No clue? Oh, right. No memory. Sorry, I forgot for a moment. Head west. Follow the lines of berry bushes and keep going. There's some other Electric types over there. Electrikes mostly. You'll recognise them if you see them, they're green, like the grass, but they howl a lot and they've got yellow lines on them. They might be able to help you. Oh, and I heard a Wingull a while back tell me that she'd accidentally stumbled across a power plant the humans made. Lots of Electrics there. But that's over the river and if you go swimming-"

"I'll be plainer than the nose on your face," I finish, seeing where this is going. Not that I plan to try swimming just yet. That could be a bit more of a challenge. I suppose sometime I'm going to have to figure it out. "I think Trainers are going to be my main concern out there. That and finding berries."

"Oh, don't worry about berries, the Trainers often pick them but most of them take care of the plants too so they give more berries and they even replant them when they need to, which means there's berry bushes all over the place. A lot of them are like the ones here though, not much grass around, and even then, there's always Trainers who know we wilds eat them. But I've stayed too long, I gotta get back to my den, my mate is there, and she'll be wondering where I got to. Be careful, and stay wild Jolteon!" he calls to me, already zigzagging off, bounding into the trees.

In a way it seems both weird and not weird, knowing he has a family. It seems perfectly natural, even ordinary animals – if there are any of them here in this Pokémon region – must have these urges. But at the same time, I can't help but think of it the human way. Saying 'mate' keeps translating to 'wife' in my head, but the Pokémon probably don't even know what that means.

Well, maybe they do – maybe _we_ do. Some of them – us! I'm a Pokémon too now, gotta remember that. Some of us must live with humans and Trainers and learn about it.

For now though, I head west as Zigzagoon suggested. I need to find an Electrike, was it? And I need to hope they understand. There are probably Pokémon who are as bad as humans when it comes to how they treat each other. If I get laughed at I'll... I don't know any moves, do I? I suppose tackling them can't be hard.

I'm keeping to the trees, the ground here doesn't look like many trainers come this way. But while I'm here, I hear footsteps again. That trainer? No, there's two sets of footsteps. I can hear so well now if I just pay attention, I'm definitely starting to like these new ears.

Staying quiet on these paws is a bit of a trial. I have four to worry about now, not two, and I don't have anything like shoes. If I step in something, I'm going to know about it! But I manage to edge close enough to see through the trees, that Trainer from before again, Grovyle hovering just behind him. There's another Trainer with him, a girl. She's wearing red, unlike him. It's hard to see from here without getting noticed. Her Pokémon is stood in the way, a tall red and orange Pokémon that looks a bit like a cross between a human and a chicken. It's just a bit taller than she is, and it keeps eyeing Grovyle. Maybe... maybe looking at them, it's a Fire type, and Grovyle is a grass type? Maybe that's why Grovyle seems uneasy...

I get as close as I dare, hoping I'm well hidden as I listen in. Maybe he'll mention me? Do Trainers help each other out? I guess that'd depend on their personality, they're as human as I am – was! I'll get used to this eventually.

"...saw a rare Pokémon around here," he's saying to her. "Can't be sure what it was though. It was yellow, that's about all I got."

"Yellow? You sure you're not seeing things Brendan?" she asks suspiciously. "My Pokédex doesn't list any yellow Pokémon around here – except maybe your Grovyle," she adds with a sly look to the green Pokémon, who backs behind Brendan.

"He's not yellow, he just knows what your Combusken is like," he replies dismissively. "Anyway, there's a load of yellow Pokémon in Hoenn, right? Who says they only stay in one place? Maybe they roam about."

I know I will be. If people start thinking I can be found here, I'm going to stop being here.

"Well, duh," the girl says. "They're living creatures too. Of course they're going to go where they want! I still think you're seeing things though, but that's alright – you haven't been here as long as me. You get to imagine seeing whatever you want." She's looking rather mischievous. I get the impression she likes toying with him. Maybe she's got her heart set on him too, and he just hasn't realised it yet.

Brendan just shakes his head, smiling as the girl heads past him toward the berry bushes.

"May always gets me," he chuckles to himself. "Maybe she'll see that Pokémon too. Maybe it was a rare one, then we'll end up racing to see who can catch it first."

Not if I have any say in it! Still... if I were still human, I can't say my head wouldn't have been turned by May. I wouldn't mind being her Pokémon as much...

But no, I'm staying wild. I'm not gonna make this easy for them! They can race for me if they like, I'm gonna give them a challenge! Well... once I figure out how to do... Electric-kinda stuff.

So I take care as I pad through the trees again, watching my step probably more than I really need to. I'm still a bit more concerned about stepping on something sharp. My paws have soft pads on the bottom, and I don't want to imagine how easy it might be to hurt them.

On the other hand, or possibly paw, being able to feel the ground I'm walking on is almost an entirely new experience. I mean, I've gone around barefoot sometimes before, but this is completely different. I almost don't need to pay as much attention to what's on the ground because I can feel it. At least I know if I haven't stepped on something with my front paws, the back ones are probably safe.

Well... this isn't what I'd hoped. I'm going to have to leave the trees if I want to carry on this way. There's a low ridge that runs roughly to the west, and a tall, very rocky hill nearby. There are one or two Pokémon up there, either looking like rocks or birds. I think I'll want to avoid those, the rocky ones might be the ones I have to watch out for, and the birds might not take kindly to me.

But if I want to get to the patches of taller grass around here, I'm going to have to come out in the open, and I know Brendan is heading this way. If he sees me again, it's only going to make him more determined to catch me – maybe to prove to May that he really did see me. Not just him either, I can see a few more humans too. If I could just make it to the grass somehow...

I can see movement in the grass. Definitely Pokémon there. It isn't really all that tall, but for a Pokémon like me, smaller, much closer to the ground, it's thick enough to hide in. Any Trainers looking for me would have to be practically on top of me. It's better concealment than here... I'm right on the edge of this forested area.

What to do, what to do... can I maybe go around these rocks the other way? But... the Electrike are here Zigzagoon said... maybe some of them went north, whatever is up that way...

Out of the corner of my eye I spot Brendan and his Grovyle again. I suppose it was inevitable. Hopefully they won't notice me, but I tense myself ready to run just in case, and turn one ear their way so I can hear if they notice me.

"Hey," the voice of Grovyle says.

"Huh?" Brendan's voice. "Hey, it's that-"

"Hush!" Of course, Brendan probably doesn't understand it as a word, but he sounds like he caught the meaning. I risk looking just slightly to my left, hoping to avoid letting them know I've noticed them too obviously. Yeah, they've spotted me alright! This is so nervous. I want to run, but it looks like he's pulling something out, and it doesn't look like a Poké Ball.

"Huh... not native to this region..." he murmurs. "Then why are you here, Jolteon? Did a trainer release you? What about the national side..." his voice trails off. He's doing something with the red thing – a Pokédex, maybe? - I can't make out what though.

A new, clearly artificial voice sounds clearly before Brendan hurriedly turns the volume down, but I can still hear it. Have I mentioned I love these new ears yet?

"Jolteon – the Lightning Pokémon. It naturally accumulates negative ions from the atmosphere and static, stored in its fur causing crackling sounds." So that's what they were! Thank you Brendan, for teaching me about myself! But the thing isn't finished yet. "It can concentrate these charges to drop thunderbolts or into its fur to launch it in bunches."

Useful if I ever want to give my fur a trim, I suppose. It doesn't sound like it has anything else to say though. I still don't know how exactly I harness this charge...

"Not found natively anywhere, but Eevee can be found wild in Kalos region," Brendan says quietly to himself. "Kalos is a long way from here though. So here in Hoenn... you're definitely a rare find, aren't you?"

He's coming this way, I can hear him. He thinks he's being quiet, but I can hear better than I thought, I can hear him. He thinks I haven't noticed him. Do I run? I should run, I should definitely run. Oh god, I don't want to be caught now!

"Watch out!" Grovyle warns, a bit too loud. Brendan must have understood his meaning, if not the words, he's stopped, but now I'm looking right at him, I couldn't help but turn to look after that warning.

"The fur's standing on end," Brendan murmurs. "Could it be... preparing to attack?"

No, I'm preparing to run! I keep backing away, but they both keep approaching. Suddenly I bump into something behind me and without thinking I tense up again, but it's different to before, I can feel something building up and there's more crackling.

A bright flash! I can't see anything! What just rumbled-

Did... I do that? Brendan's on the ground, and Grovyle is hovering protectively over him, but there's a patch of green that looks burned... as if... as if I dropped a thunderbolt... the flash and the rumble... and as I look around there's burnt patches everywhere. I must have earthed all that charged up energy!

Uh-oh – they're getting up. I'm not sticking around now, I'm running back into the trees! Figuring out how to do that at will can wait, I'm getting out of here!


	4. Seeing Red

That was just too close for comfort, and these woods are thick and heavy. There aren't many Pokémon in here, and I've only seen one human. I think I'm safe for now, but that's put me a long way from the Electrikes... then again, Brendan helpfully explained things to me. I managed a thunderbolt out of fear, maybe I can learn to do that on my own without them.

But probably not here, I think. There's a lot of bird Pokémon around, and if they recognise me as an Electric type, they're probably just waiting for a reason to get at me. And if they know I haven't got to grips with my own capabilities yet, all the more.

There was a route heading north back where I was meant to find the Electrikes, and I sort of ran in the same direction. Maybe if I strike west again I'll find it again. Of course that'll mean Trainers again... but also Pokémon. Maybe even some Electrikes that wandered up this way. I can hope.

Very hilly here though, very steep terrain. I'd have to hike this as a human, but now... if I were more used to my new form I'd be even more agile at this. This is just easy! Oh... but I better watch out for the Ground types. They always seem to hang out where there's rocks and mountains.

I hear running water – maybe that river Zigzagoon told me about, or at least the one that supplied it. Maybe I can find a safe place to cross up here? And if any Water Pokémon give me any trouble, I'll practice giving them a zap!

Okay... it's starting to open up a bit here. There's even a path between the trees. Looks like there's no humans around right now... wait, no, there's two on the other side of that bridge. What's up with them blocking the way? And those clothes... they look almost like uniforms.

Well maybe this is normal for Hoenn, it's not like I know what goes on around here. There's some kind of building just past them – I'll have to avoid that. A place like that means humans, and there's likely to be one among them that'll try to catch me. I'm not putting myself through that experience again soon!

I could go north some more. I can hear something rustling grass up that way. It looks clear for the moment. If it doesn't work out I can try and run past those two uniformed humans before they can react. I've got plenty of time left in the day yet.

The human's path is pretty well worn. The grass on either side just stops to the muddy path here. It looks almost like a shallow trench. At least it stops where they've cut stairs out of the rocks. And the grass is just up there... I hear voices. Pokémon voices.

"Stay away from him," one whispers. It sounds similar to Zigzagoon's, but much older. "He's not like us."

"He doesn't look dangerous," a much younger voice says.

"Neither do many Pokémon."

I carry on up anyway, and there are humans up ahead talking in a group. There's a patch of very tall grass here where the voices came from, I'm hiding in there for the moment.

"Sorry about this," I mutter, just in case those voices are listening.

"So you should be," I'm told. It's the first voice. "Can't you see I'm looking after my children here? I don't need you coming in here and shocking them you know!"

"I used most of my charge earlier," I tell the voice. "Anyway I'm only here until those humans pass so I can move on."

"You'll be waiting a while," a different but also young voice pipes up. "They wanna head down and tell those red fur humans to stop blocking the way!"

I assume by red fur they mean the clothes. Maybe Pokémon don't have a word for that, or maybe that one just doesn't know.

"I told you to stay back," the first voice says ominously, then to me, "You'd better move on, Jolteon. There's no place for you here."

I can feel my fur starting to rise again, like it did when I dropped the thunderbolt earlier. Their hostility is getting to me, and its like my fur is reacting to that. This wouldn't be a good place to shock other Pokémon, but I don't have the practice to be able to stop this.

"Back!" the voice barks. "Keep away from him!"

"If that's how you treat other Pokémon before you know them, is it really any wonder you're agitating me?" I growl, barely keeping my temper under control in the face of this. It's not an easy thing.

"You've given me nothing to say I can trust you, and you come in here ready to throw lightning."

"I didn't come in here ready to do that, you brought that on yourself with that attitude!" I turn and snap. There's a Pokémon there, like Zigzagoon but with smoother fur and a longer, sleeker body. And there's two Zigzagoon's behind her, looking afraid. She's ready to protect them, that much is clearly obvious.

This is not going my way. If I keep this up I'll end up in a fight. Well, trainers make Pokémon battle, so I guess we wild Pokémon do too, but this looks like a bad idea. She probably has far more experience than me.

Without bothering to say another word – it'd only make the situation worse – I turn and bound back out of the grass, ignoring startled cries of the humans from before. Sounds like some of them spotted me, but they aren't going to keep up.

And those two uniformed people are there on the bridge still... blocking the way. I need to do something about this charge I've built up, and I need to figure this out for myself. So what if they're blocking the way for a good reason, I'll see if I can give them a jolt on the way through!

What happened earlier? Right. I tensed up, my fur stood on end – that's all done. Then it just... huh... this could be tricky. Last time I backed into something and the surprise made me... hm... is there even a word for it? It's like... squeezing, but not quite. I don't know how to describe it.

I carry on over the wooden bridge. They've heard me and now they've seen me. And they're reaching for Poké balls at their belt! Fine then – if I have to go for their Pokémon too... They each throw down their balls, which bounce, open and let a red light flare out, then return to their hands. The red light turns into a Pokémon, not one I've seen before. They look like dark-furred dogs, and they're growling at me. Just growling, no actual words.

It looked almost disturbing. Is that what will happen to me if I'm caught? I just become... red light? What's it like in a Poké ball? Never mind that now, I've got my first Pokémon battle to fight! My fur's already charged... I just have to try to mimic what happened before on my terms.

Uh-oh – one of them is jumping for me! I dart back to avoid the attack. The other one just howls. Now it's my turn. Lets see if I can pull this off... charged, squeezing like feeling... there! A bright flash again and the rumble! Did I get the Pokémon?

Looks like I did! Blackened a bit of the wood bridge too, but I think most of it went into the Pokémon! And the Trainer's got that ball again, and... red light back into the ball again... I must have defeated it. I hope I didn't do anything permanent to it...

I have to quickly stop worrying as the other dog-like Pokémon attacks this time, slamming into me while I was distracted. I manage to avoid the edge of the bridge, without thinking snapping back with my jaws and biting down hard. The Pokémon jerks the leg back quickly, pulling me after it. Can I shock this one too?

Looks like I used all my charge again. I'm going to have to practice some more and learn to use less if I can. I have to let go of the leg, the pulling is starting to hurt my teeth. But what choice do I have without any charge built up? I could tackle it... but then like me it might end up off the bridge.

I've had my fill of this fight. I leap toward the Pokémon as if I'm about to attack it, hoping it reacts how I want. It does, darting back to avoid it, and I quickly turn to the left and run past the two startled humans, then quickly left to head into some tall grass right beside some trees. Hopefully the Pokémon here are more welcoming!

"What did you let it get away for you fool?" The human who's Pokémon I defeated is berating the other one.

"I didn't know it was going to bolt, did I?" he replies, then belligerently adds, "It's not like you did any better – your Pokémon was KO'd at the first attack it made! If the boss hears you lost to a wild Pokémon of all things-"

"Shut up! I didn't lose to it, I just... I made a mistake, alright?" he insists. He lets his Pokémon back out of the ball and takes an item out of a pocket. I can't see what from here, or what he does with it, but his Pokémon gets back up and stretches itself afterwards. That's a relief for me! That must have been what Zigzagoon warned me about – fainting.

The two of them are back to bickering again already. The healed Pokémon is joined by the one I dodged and ran from, and they talk quietly between themselves. One of them gives a long-suffering look at one point.

Maybe they don't exactly get along with their Trainers...?

There are sounds coming from inside that building too. Even they've noticed it. Is something going on in there? I listen while cautiously exploring this patch of grass. There's a lot of grass here, but it seems oddly deserted. I hope I didn't scare anyone off.

Just in case, I move back to the edge of the grass so I can use it as cover and still see what's going on. Those sounds have broken off. What happened in there? I'm curious, but if I go in there...

More people wearing those red uniforms are coming out, men and women.

"We're leaving!" one snaps. "That means you two as well!" she adds to the ones on the bridge.

Now that is a woman with a fierce temper. Something's clearly upset her. They start heading this way, but avoiding the grass. Again I listen in. Maybe I can pick up something.

"Who was he?"

"I dunno, but be glad he didn't go for you, his Pokémon are crazy tough!"

"Should have seen him – he totally flattened us, and even Courtney barely stood a chance against her – and she's an Admin! They've got tougher Pokémon than we do!"

"Only because they give us grunts the weak ones so they can keep the strong for themselves," one disgruntled grunt complains."

"Enough of that!" the woman with the hot temper butts in, this Courtney I assume. "You're paid to do Team Magma's work, not grumble all day! If you want stronger Pokémon, _work_ for them!"

Up at the building there's more activity. It's Brendan again! He... he just... beat the lot of them? If what they were saying is anything to go by, he must be tough! No... his Pokémon are tough.

But Grovyle... every time I see him, he doesn't seem to resent being owned by Brendan at all. Maybe... not all trainers are bad?

Something to think about, at least. But I'd really like to know what happens to a Pokémon in a Poké ball.


	5. Just Pretending

I've started to wander further south, staying on this side of the river now I've crossed it. The clear path the humans left quickly crossed back over, but I've stayed here, keeping to the trees and the rocky hills. So far I've not had any more encounters, good or bad. I even found a couple more berry bushes, growing wild and far from the humans, so I had a bit of lunch.

But I'm not really sure why I'm heading this way any more. Originally I was going to visit the Electrike and learn how to use my electric charge, but I've got that now. Alright, so I'm not very good at it yet, but I'll get there with practice. I don't really like the idea of fighting random strangers, either other wild Pokémon or those belonging to trainers, but if I don't I won't get a chance to learn.

Well, that guy, the one who worked for Team Magma was it? He had something that revived his Pokémon. Most trainers probably take care of their Pokémon and heal them when they need. And I reckon they probably seek out wild Pokémon to toughen up their own ones. Maybe I should try and go for them.

But then, what if I faint? I could end up as just anyone's Pokémon then if I'm not careful. Either I take the risks and learn, or I stay safe and kinda vulnerable. And speaking of vulnerable, it looks like I'm going to have to make myself vulnerable if I want to carry on this way. The woods are thinning out again, there are humans on a beach like area just away from the trees where that river ends, and there's a distinctly urban smell up ahead.

It's actually kind of astonishing to me still, but I'm starting to be able to tell apart the various different scents I can smell, and I'm sure I can smell a lot more than I used to. I can actually smell the humans there, or some of them at least. There's a boy running and playing in the warm sun, and I can smell the sweat on him. And also something I think is some kind of sun screen.

There's a woman there too, arranging the flowers where the grass stops before the beach with a Pokémon that looks a bit like a small rose bush. I can actually make out the scents of at least half a dozen of those plants. It's like having an entirely new view on the world, and I don't have to open my eyes to see it!

An older man looks like he's fishing, but as he pulls up his rod I see he's not fishing for... well, fish, but Pokémon! He's got some kind of fish Pokémon on the line. It looks red, blue, and angry. And he's sent out his own Pokémon to battle it, some kind of blue jellyfish? I can't quite hear what he's saying, but it sounds like he's telling his Pokémon what to do.

It's using its tentacles to hold the fish Pokémon in place, stopping it from escaping, but the fish is biting on them – ooh, but they can't taste too nice with that kind of face! I'll bet it doesn't want to bite them again if it can help it!

But it seems to be weakening and thrashing about more. Probably because it's not in enough water, I suppose? Or maybe there's something else to it, there's a new, very sharp scent that raises the fur on the back of my neck, as if some built-in instinct knows that whatever I'm smelling is danger. Jellyfish... what do I remember about them... they can paralyse somehow, right? Or is it poison? It could be either. And now the fishing trainer's thrown a Poké ball at the fish. It bounces off it, but opens up, turning the fish into red light that disappears into the ball. It plops into the water, but the jellyfish takes it to shore, where it's wobbling as if the fish is still struggling inside. So maybe there's more to it than just being red light?

The ball snaps back open, the red light turning back into the fish, which is now on the sand and struggling weakly to get back to shore. The fisherman makes a frustrated exclamation, then throws another ball. This one looks different, it's not red and white like the first, it's blue on top instead, and it looks like a net on the top.

This second ball also snares the Pokémon like the first, and this time it lands in the sand. Again it wobbles around a bit, but this time the small button on the front clicks and the ball stays still. The fisherman picks it up... he must have caught it. And he brings it right back out to use an item on it, quickly revitalising it.

He helps it back into the water and it just swims there, staying nearby. Why doesn't it just swim away? If the ball shaking was anything to go by, it didn't want to be caught. Why just accept it now? I'd go and ask, but...

I head back into the trees a ways, walking along slowly while I think on this. There's more at work here than I understand. Ideally I'd like to talk to a captured Pokémon and ask them about the whole experience, and why they don't just run when their new Trainer lets them out, but that means leaving myself exposed. I'm not sure I can do that, not yet.

That urban scent is getting stronger, and I can see a lot of houses and buildings through the edge of these trees. I'm not going to be able to hide in them for much longer. It looks and smells like I've found a fair sized city.

I'm going to have to sum up my courage and try to get through this city uncaught if I want to explore beyond here. There aren't going to be any easy places to hide, and if other people figure out what I am like Brendan did, I'm going to be targeted by just about everyone.

What about if I keep to the edges of the city? The houses are all built apart from each other with gardens around them. I might have to cross a few paths now and then, but if I run quick enough that shouldn't be too much of a problem, and if I stay in the places between houses... yeah, that could work. There's plenty of plants and hedges.

Even out here I can make out so many human scents! And so many voices too! Mauville City, this place is called. I keep hearing talk about a gym, but it doesn't sound like what I'd call a gym. It sounds more like a place where Pokémon battles take place. But Trainers seem to battle wherever they want, why set aside a special place for it? I'm obviously missing something, but I don't know what.

Alright, here goes, first time crossing a road. This looks like a major thoroughfare too. I'm going to have to dodge legs and feet as I run across, and I want to run so I don't give them time to try to fight or capture me, or even both.

I wait for a time, to see if there's any lull in the busy foot traffic, but it doesn't look like it's going to come. Several bike riders pass through – they could have been tough to avoid! Finally I decide there's nothing for it and start bounding across, focusing ahead of me. I have to dart from one side to another to get through the feet, and there's sounds I've startled a lot of people again. I brush several legs with more static crackles, and listening behind me I gather I gave people a tiny shock from that. Nothing too serious, at least.

It's strange though. There were Pokémon out too, but not a single one of them tried to go for me. Maybe I'm safer than I thought? Maybe... there aren't too many wild Pokémon in towns and cities, so people assume I belong to a Trainer?

This is interesting. Maybe I can use this to my advantage. It's quieter back behind the houses of course, so I find my way further west – how I know which way is which I really don't know. Maybe something to do with magnetics and electricity? I just... know.

After a while I turn back toward the nearest main path and like before, I sit on my haunches to watch them all go past, human and Pokémon. It looks like most of the Pokémon are following humans, though some of the smaller ones are perched on their Trainer's shoulders or carried in their arms. Some of them seem to range ahead or behind their Trainers, others pause to sniff at something then run to catch up.

Aha! Now there's a good idea! That was an Electrike I just saw go past, or at least it I assume so, it matched Zigzagoon's description, and it had a newspaper in it's mouth. It wasn't with any human I could see, so maybe it was just running an errand? What if I do the same? People should just assume I belong to someone, right?

Maybe something I saw just now can help with that. I go back a few gardens to where there's some bins out – only these bins don't smell too bad. The people here seem to separate different kinds of trash, and if what's written on the sides is any suggestion, they're big on recycling here. Well, with wild Pokémon up and down the Hoenn region, of course they would be, they don't want to lose the Pokémon, do they? I know I wouldn't – if I were still human!

Yes! There – a newspaper. It probably isn't a recent one, but it's rolled up and it doesn't smell like there's anything bad on it. These bins are sheltered from the weather, so it's nice and dry, and the people who packed them are neat and tidy, so it's easy to get it out without making a mess. I hope I don't leave any sign I was here either.

Now to see if this works. It's nervous again, I have to take a few moments to get a handle on that and prepare myself. I trot out into the street, keeping my ears turning to listen for any sign of anyone not falling for this. I keep expecting there to be some cry or a Pokémon coming to battle me, to weaken me and make me easier to capture, but it just doesn't come. This is perfect! I'll have to remember this, it'll make going through towns so much easier!

People still notice me of course. I hear them talking about me, but mostly it's just a confirmation of what Brendan said – here in Hoenn, I'm a rare Pokémon. By the sounds of it Eevee's are too, and Eevee's don't just evolve into Jolteon. I hear mention of Flareon, Vaporeon, Espeon, Umbreon, Glaceon and Leafeon. I assume they're related with such similar names.

I also hear talk of how lucky my non-existent – at the moment at least – Trainer must be to have such a Pokémon as me and speculation on how I might have been obtained. There's some talk about something called a Global Terminal and trading Pokémon? By the sounds of it, the fact that Kalos is so far from here isn't important, as this Global Terminal allows for connections to there and other regions too. No one mentions what those regions are though.

Finally I start picking up the scents of nature again on the far side of town. I make use of a nearby house and their recycling where I leave the newspaper, doing my own little part too. I was only borrowing it for a time anyway. Now I can leave town safely and carry on my exploration of Hoenn.


	6. Friendly Natures

It's a strange feeling to me, feeling more at home among nature than in a city. I grew up in one, after all – just as a human being. Now I'm a Jolteon, and I'm not completely certain why. Alright, so I wished something would happen, but this...

But I definitely feel more comfortable away now I'm away from Mauville. There's a route here that people use, heading to the neighbouring town. There's not all that much on it, it's very natural and looks more like they're trying to take care to keep it natural. There are some more berry bushes of course, better concealed for those wild Pokémon who don't want to show themselves – like me!

I'll be back there later, to make sure I get something to eat when it starts to get dark. It's been a long day filled with trials and surprises. Maybe I should spend a bit of time finding a place to spend the night, Hopefully the local Pokémon don't mind sharing.

I've seen a few of them while skirting the edge of the trees here. Hoenn seems to be a heavily forested region. There's a little blue one with leaves on its head that wanders around, and I've seen more Zigzagoon too. I think I spotted a wild Pokémon like those two Team Magma guys had somewhere, there's a pair of bugs that look very similar, and a very round blue Pokémon that plays in the pools of water here. I'll have to be careful not to upset them.

I wish I knew what kind of Pokémon they were! That's so much of a pain, I feel like I should know, but I just don't!

Huh? Voices... Pokémon voices.

"He's not like us," one murmurs. Now where have I heard _that_ before. "We should be ready to protect ourselves. Just in case. But lets not provoke him."

"Are you sure he's wild?" another asks.

"He has to be, no owned Pokémon would have anything to worry about. He's staying too close to cover."

"You could just ask me you know," I bark out with barely suppressed irritation. I don't want to end up charged again and causing another little incident.

"He- you could hear us?" the second voice asks, startled. From the nearby grass one of those dog Pokémon emerges warily.

"It's the ears," I say depreciatingly. "Sometimes I startle myself at just how much I can hear. Who's your friend? Just curious, you understand, I'm not trying to pry or anything."

"Hey, Marill!" he calls in. "You're right, he's wild, but he's friendly. It's safe to come out now."

"But he's an Electric type, Poochyena," Marill's voice says warily.

"I promise not to attack," I offer. "It's getting late, and I don't want trouble. Just somewhere comfortable to rest. I've been thinking of getting a few berries from the bushes just up that way before then, but that's about it. I don't really have much of a plan of what I want to do really," I admit ruefully.

Marill emerges from the grass, one of the round, blue Pokémon I saw before. Somehow, even though there's no obvious sign on either of them, I can tell Marill's female, and Poochyena male.

"There's a den near here we've made," Poochyena tells me. "It's like our own little hidden Pokémon village. There's room there – as long as you don't go looking for trouble."

"Trouble keeps looking for me," I grimace. "I woke up this morning with no memory in the slightest, almost got caught by a Trainer, got ran out of a place I tried to hide by the Pokémon there and then had to attack a couple of humans who were blocking the way. It's been a long day," I sigh.

"Sounds like you caught a bad break," Marill remarks sympathetically. "Alright, we'll show you the way, and we'll trust you. You don't seem like a bad sort, and I know what it's like to have a human nearly catch you. How close did they get?"

"Not all that close," I admit. "He saw me and started to approach, I backed into a tree which startled me and I kinda zapped them and ran. Unless anything happened before I forgot everything, it's the first time anyone tried to catch me though."

"You're lucky he didn't start throwing Poké Balls," Marill says as the two lead me away from the route. "I've had that happen to me."

"Really? I've been wondering what it's like. I saw the red light that captured Pokémon look like they turn into, but I'm pretty sure there's more to it than that."

"There is," Poochyena says. "Marill doesn't like to talk about it. There's like this whole other place in there. For me it was like a field with a lake in, but the area wasn't finished, there was this red edge to it, and when I pushed against it I broke out of the ball."

I knew there was more to it than just the light!

They've shown me to a huge tree with a hollow dug out underneath it. I can smell the Pokémon down there, a whole confusing welter of different scents.

"I'll leave you here," Marill says. "I don't do so well in the dark, and I prefer the water anyway."

"Can you handle the dark Jolteon?" Poochyena asks me.

"I don't know actually. I don't remember. I think I can manage by smelling and hearing my way around. I might be a bit clumsy if I have trouble seeing."

"Don't worry, sometimes there are other Pokémon who have that trouble, we always understand what it's like. Just follow the sound of my paws and we'll have a safe place for you to spend the night. We've even got a little stash of berries down there thanks to some wild Zigzagoon that live in the area. Sometimes we lose a friend of course, avoiding Trainers isn't always easy – you never know when one will show up."

"Don't I know it. I was having a snack of berries just this morning when I had to hide because I'd been seen, and then the same Trainer showed up again just after. That's when he tried to catch me. I don't want to be caught, the idea of having to do what someone else tells me..."

"I know, it's kind of frightening, right?" he says. I keep my ears oriented on his voice, listening closely in the darkness. I can make out more than I thought – maybe Jolteons are good at seeing in the dark? "I've seen trainers that don't treat their Pokémon badly, they look like they've become friends, but trainers always want to battle Pokémon and we don't get a say in that. I'd like to think they do it out of friendship and the trust that their trainers take care of them, but it means hoping that if I do get caught, I get a good Trainer."

The mass of scents starts to separate out in various directions. The tunnel branches off into other tunnels, and off one of them there's a larger area dug out as a den. There aren't exactly any comforts here, but then maybe not all Pokémon need them. It's not like this earth is hard or anything.

"Here," Poochyena says eventually. "This one's free. I'll make sure you get something to eat a bit later on. You're welcome to stay as long as you like – it'll be a novelty to have an Electric Pokémon helping look out for us!"

I'll have to stay for a while to repay this kindness. It's nice to see that Pokémon are people too – even if some of them show those less desirable traits. And in a way... this little community of helpful Pokémon... it's almost like a little familiar bit of my former life.

I... I don't want to wake up and go back to being human. I don't care that I have to run the risks of getting caught and getting used to my new form. Even if this is a dream, I never want to wake up from it.

* * *

><p>I wake up curled up in a position I'd never have managed as a human. I've often been amazed at the way cats and dogs curl up and be comfortable, but this just feels so natural. I don't think I've ever had a better night's sleep – and I didn't even have a bed!<p>

My nose tells me there aren't as many Pokémon down here as there were last night, and that there's trails of scents left by their leaving. I wonder just how long I slept for? I still can't see too clearly, but the main smells make it easy to find the way in and out since everyone uses it.

Once I'm back out in the sun I shake the dirt out of my fur, yawn and pad to the edge of the tree-line, where the trees meet tall grass. It looks pretty early, the sun isn't even up yet. There are a few Pokémon about this early, making use of the low light to sneak about better without humans noticing them, there are even a few humans heading to or from Mauville. They don't seem too interested in the wild Pokémon though. One of them pauses to tend the berry bushes – that's nice to see, that helps take care of us wilds.

There's a human boy leaning on a wood fence on the far side of the route that seems to be looking this way, as if he's looking right at me. He can't be, can he? I'm hidden in these bushes, and the light isn't bright enough to make it easy to see me.

I've seen him somewhere before, I'm sure. Ash-blonde hair, lanky build, a white shirt and dark pants. Where do I know him from? Maybe he's someone... No, he can't be someone I knew before this happened, right? But... I guess I came here so maybe he could have too? I don't even know how I came here though.

Well, it's not like it's my problem. Maybe he's just a local boy that likes to watch the Pokémon in the morning. And as for me... I think I'll get some berries for breakfast and get a few extra for my new friends here.


	7. Helping and Out

Pokémon don't have names. It's a bit of a strange thing to me. We have names for what kinds of Pokémon we are, but we don't have actual names. The others here look at me oddly when I try to suggest I could use my old name, no matter how I try to phrase it.

But thinking about it, I understand why we don't have names. We can just... tell the difference between each other. Pokémon are as unique as people. Different attitudes and experiences, slight differences to the voice that those of us with better hearing can tell, we can even smell the difference. What would be the point of names when you just know the difference?

I went and got some berries just before sunrise, like I planned. These ones have a different, stronger but not unpleasant taste, and there are other berries still in the stash we keep here, so there's usually something for anyone's taste.

This little community is a nice friendly place to stay. I could keep moving on and see more of Hoenn, and maybe I will at some point, but for now I'm content to share their company – I have a place I belong, and friends. Since I'm the only Electric type here, the others are partly curious, but also a bit wary. I can't say I blame them really. There are quite a few Water and Flying types here.

Marill's helping get them past that though. She's a straightforward, no nonsense kind of person that seems not to care about these little concerns, just getting on with it. She's helped me with my apparent memory issue too, 'refreshing' my memory of the things I'm meant to know, like the types of Pokémon, a few of their strengths and weaknesses, most of which make sense.

I've also been introduced to most of the local kinds of Pokémon. I don't feel so bad about not recognising other kinds though, it turns out that it's not something every Pokémon just knows.

So for now I'm just wandering around here, like a kind of patrol. I get looks from bird Pokémon further away from our shared den, but they don't bother me, and I'm not going to bother them. They're mostly in the woodlands anyway, roosting in the trees, and there aren't many humans that way so I'm not really concerned about that.

The route itself is another matter. While it's still not busy, there's a lot more people about. Some are Trainers, battling their Pokémon, others seem to be looking for us wilds. There are a few more athletic people about that seem to be practising for some upcoming triathlon if I overheard them right.

That boy I saw has been gone for a while, but I'm not too concerned about that. Maybe I was right about him after all, and he just wanted to see the Pokémon in the morning. It's no business of mine really – as long as he doesn't try and catch me or my new friends, anyway.

I think I'm starting to get better at hiding in the grass too. Every time I go past a patch, I slow down and slink through it, listening, watching and smelling everything around. I've even brushed just past a few people, taking care not to shock them with my built-up static, and they don't seem to have noticed. It's nervous, of course, but I figure this is a skill I should learn now while I have a safe place to retreat to, rather than later when I could do with being better at it.

"Anyone!" a Pokémon voice calls. "A little help here!"

I don't bother to conceal myself now, bounding easily out of this grass, round the lake and to the patch on the other side. There's a human with a Pokémon out, and on the edge of the grass there's a Marill – not the Marill I met before, but a Marill anyway.

That's May – she's the one Brendan told about me! Well, maybe she'll tell him she saw me here, but right now Marill needs my help. She doesn't have that Combusken of hers out, instead she's got a little yellow and green Pokémon out that looks a bit like a bush. Probably a Grass type like Brendan's Grovyle, which means zapping it won't do so much.

Marill doesn't look so well, and there's a familiar scent, I caught that when the fisherman caught that jellyfish – poison. May's rummaging in a bag at her belt, and I think I know what for! Never mind that constipated looking bush Pokémon, I'm not going to let this happen, not on my watch!

"Sorry about this Marill," I growl quickly, slowing just enough to pick him up by the tail, taking care not to bite down too hard. Without hands, it's the only safe place I can think of. It's tough to pull Marill along with me, and I have to stay slow.

"Hey! Come back here!" May shouts after me, followed by, "C'mon Shroomish, after them!"

"Swing me up on your back, Jolteon," Marill says. It takes a few attempts, but finally I get him up there. I can hear May behind me, crashing noisily through the grass.

A couple of Poochyena and a Volbeat meet me just as I enter the trees. They must have also heard his cry for help, and they've got several berries with them. I learned some of them have curative effects earlier, so it's no surprise.

I leave Marill with them and head quickly back to intercept May. I don't want her catching up and find out about our community, if people learned about it they'd try to find it, and others like it, and that'd be bad news.

Fortunately May's still heading through the grass by the trees. All it takes is stopping and growling – no actual words, just a plain, hostile sounding growl – and she notices me, definitely recognising me.

"It's you again! Hey, aren't you the one Brendan told me about? I wanted that Marill, but if I catch you before him..."

Uh-oh! I was hoping she didn't figure that out! And this Shroomish definitely looks like it's ready to attack. I'm going to have to take my chances here.

"Make it easy on yourself," Shroomish tells me ominously. "May's stubborn and she won't just let you get away, not after what you just pulled."

"I won't let anyone catch me, not even May," I counter. Shroomish doesn't answer, but starts shaking, sending acrid spores into the air – that poison again! No way I'm getting caught by that! I quickly move clear of the descending spores, and away from where Marill and the others are, then I tense myself and... there's really no word for it. I'm not trying to put out a shock, this is for the fur. I can feel my fur standing on end, there's a different kind of squeezing feeling, then several small bunches spray out toward Shroomish.

Shroomish flinches back from the attack – that looked like it worked even better than I thought! Maybe whatever I did was a move type strong against Shroomish?

"Go get him, Shroomish!" May calls encouragingly. Even though Shroomish only seems to have small stubby feet at best, it launches toward me. I'm too quick to be caught so easily, and as it passes I kick at it with my back paws. One misses, but I feel the other connect and hear Shroomish tumble to the ground.

Spores come my way again – no, wait, these are different. They smell more plant-like, and they're larger, not so many of them. That's seriously too easy to avoid. What's Shroomish thinking? It won't weaken me this way. Or maybe it's because of May? She has other Pokémon, why doesn't she use one of them against me?

But neither of them seem to think of this, and Shroomish is heading for me again. I try and kick it again this time, but this time Shroomish avoids both of them, so I turn, tense and let out a shock instead. I try not to use all my stored charge this time, and I think I've managed that. There's a slightly different feeling between stored charge and no charge, I'm sure.

There's a flash, and an electrical sparking sound, and I just about make out a spike of lightning strike Shroomish as it turns for me again, sending it rolling away. This time it doesn't get up, and May sends it back to the Poké ball.

"I'm not done with you just yet!" May warns me, throwing another ball my way. I start to dodge until I realize it's not aimed for me. Instead it bounces, opens and brings out Combusken, and I realize that as he appears, in trying to draw attention away from my friends, I've ended up out in the open and there are other trainers watching! I don't have anywhere to run without running into another trainer. I better hope I can beat May's Pokémon and still manage to get back to cover before someone else tries to get me!

Combusken immediately kicks up the ground to throw dirt and sand at me. I have to turn away and close my eyes, but I keep listening closely with my ears and hear him heading for me. It's not easy moving quickly without being able to see, but I shake off the dirt and fire more of my fur spikes.

Whatever type Combusken is, he doesn't seem to be affected by it as badly as Shroomish was. He's still after me, and he's got a fair turn of speed behind him too! I slow and stay ready to bolt as he approaches, leaping up with his feet aimed for me. I leap forward underneath them and send another shock out – I _think_ I've got enough for one more, I'm not sure.

Now I'm on the other side to Combusken, and he's on the ground but recovering quickly. I take my chance and run for the trees.

"Oh, no you don't!" May's voice calls after me. Something whistles through the air, bounces behind me with a metallic sound, then something hits me in the back.

No! Everything's red, this isn't good! Wait... there's... grass? It's starting to spread. There are trees too... but it's like this place is spreading in a circle, and there's a red line at the edge – that's it! Poochyena mentioned that last night, if I push against it I should be able to get out! I run for it and leap at the line. For a moment everything goes red, then I'm back on the route again, and the Poké ball falls to the ground beside me, left open and used.

I don't stay still long enough for May to have a second chance and bolt for the trees. That was just too close!

"Aw, really?" I hear May's clearly disappointed voice. "I really thought I had it then. Guess it's gonna take more than that though... come on Combusken, lets head for Verdanturf and heal up before we enter the contest there. I'd have liked to catch that Pokémon and show it off too..."


	8. Curiosities

Marill's back on his feet already, and I'm not far behind. Of course I fared a lot better than him, but the experience of being in a Poké Ball, even briefly, only really gave me a good scare. I'm definitely going to have to be more careful in future, I really don't want to go through that again.

I can't really go back out and try to help some more, at least not today. I don't need more time to get over the encounter, but the route is buzzing up at the Mauville end, and I keep hearing my name mentioned. Someone at least recognized what I am and like Brendan, realized I'm not a common sight. Most of the wild Pokémon in the area have retreated to safety because of the sheer number of humans around, and I'm to blame for it.

No one blames me, though. I guess maybe they understand? Or maybe it's just that they don't think it's worth bothering with. Pokémon do seem to have a practical sense about the world, except maybe that hostile one from yesterday.

Even so, I have to stay further back than before. My yellow shows up far too easily even in the autumn woodlands. Once again the local Pokémon are looking out for me, warning me away from the areas where I'd just be too exposed. There are two bug Pokémon, Volbeat and Illumise, closely related to each other, that have been keeping an aerial watch.

A few other roaming Pokémon have stopped by though, and since I can't do much else I've done my part to make sure they're welcome too. I'm not completely certain Abra even heard me, she seemed to sleep the whole time and as soon as I told her where we were staying, she teleported to a tree nearby. I gather this is normal for Abra, but it still strikes me as a bit cold.

Speaking of cold, the first Ice-type Pokémon I've ever met is here, a little orange Pokémon called Snorunt, stopping by on a kind of migration. It's getting close to winter, so Snorunts are starting to be spotted more often in Hoenn.

There was also a Skarmory, a Pokémon that looks just like a metal bird, stopped by, but didn't stay long. I didn't get to talk with them, but by the sounds of it, they were looking for something and didn't find it here. I wonder what? I'd have asked, but as a Flying Pokémon, Skarmory probably wouldn't have appreciated it.

That being said, many of the local Pokémon don't seem to hold to that. That first Zigzagoon I met suggested otherwise, and I imagine in general he wasn't too far wrong, but many here just seem to ignore it. I'll have to keep that up when I leave, and with any other newcomers here. It probably won't make all that much of a difference, but if it makes Pokémon get along with me better, I'll give it a try.

Meanwhile I've been listening to the Pokémon, ostensibly to refresh my missing memory. I don't like lying to them – they're my friends, after all – but it's a necessary thing. I can't tell them I was human and I turned into a Pokémon, even if I did ask for it. Who'd believe me? Or think me any better than any other human?

The legends of the Hoenn region interest me though. Three legendary Pokémon involved in the creation of the world as it stands, and hints of a fourth that created them. It doesn't stop there either, even wild Pokémon talk of three ancient, sleeping Pokémon – again with the suggestion of another. Our visiting Snorunt tells me the fourth one there resides in far-off Sinnoh, in a place humans call Snowpoint City.

It's an impossibility, of course, but I can't help but wish someday I'll be able to meet at least one of these legendary Pokémon. Well, maybe if I got a trainer... no! I don't want to be caught, not now, not any more! I'm not going through that again!

As I'm wandering through the woodlands an odd scent comes to me, one that's distinctly out of place in the natural setting. It smells... well... white. I _know_ that doesn't make sense, but it's the only way I can think of it. Warily, just in case, I follow the trail it leaves, taking care where I place my paws. Walking on four legs is almost completely natural to me now. Even brush, twigs and leaves underfoot (underpaw, maybe?) barely make any sound.

The sound of someone breathing. I pause, orienting on that sound first with my ears, then following. The scent is coming from the same direction. It's quiet, but undeniably a human breathing. Taking care to stay quiet I nudge aside the leaves of a low bush for concealment, squeezing between twigs and branches to peer out the other side.

I was right! It's a human... it's that boy again, the one from this morning... only he's not alone. There's a taller man with him I don't think I've seen before.

"If you don't like it, just wait," the familiar one says quietly. "It really won't take long."

"Your idea of long and mine are worlds apart, old friend," the other says acidly. "Are you even sure this is right?"

"Are we really going to have that debate again?"

The man bears the withering look he's given for a time, then sighs and says, "I just want to know what made you take action so suddenly. It's not like you."

"Some things ring out even over long distances," the boy explains patiently. "Usually I don't pay much attention to them. But every once in a while, I hear something that practically cries out to be answered, and I do something about it."

"That's a cop-out and you know it. You could use that to justify just about anything."

"I learned from an expert," the boy laughs, clapping his companion on the shoulder. "You might as well go on ahead. I'll catch up shortly."

We both watch his somewhat irritable companion wander off through the trees, heading more or less in the direction of Verdanturf, the same place May went. The boy turns back, appearing to scan the forest around him, then his gaze falls on the bush where I'm hiding and I instinctively tense up. I'm certain I made no sound! He can't know I'm here, can he?

He lingers watching the bush before returning to looking around. Maybe it was just me but he seemed to linger on the bush just a bit too long for my comfort. Something crashes not far away, and his attention immediately turns to it. I try to relax and move to see what caused it. Two people have fallen out of a tree, and they both look like those people from the bridge, in the red hooded uniforms.

"What are _they_ doing here?" the boy mutters. "Did they follow us? If they find..." he breaks off, sighs and heads toward them. Now his back is to me, I relax a bit more and change bushes just in case, getting a better view while I'm at it. Is he with them?

No, it doesn't look like it. They look rather shifty, and the boy doesn't seem so calm and friendly toward them. One reaches for a Poké ball at his belt, but something harsh is said, too far away for me to hear what, and he shrinks back. A few more words and the due turn and run instead.

He looks after them, sighs again, then heads off after his friend without bothering to look back at where I was hiding, or where I am. But I can't help wondering... what were they talking about, and why were those other two following them?

* * *

><p>On my return from the woodlands, all thought of the woodland encounter are forgotten. Several of the local wild Pokémon are clustered around the tree concealing our den, and all of them look worn.<p>

"What happened here?" I ask Marill.

"Humans," he shrugs. "You being seen earlier stirred them up, and one of them caught sight of Snorunt that made it worse. We're keeping out of sight as best we can, but there are Trainers among them determined to capture one of you two. They've been battling among themselves too, but we're bearing the brunt of it."

"Do we have enough berries? I'll take my chances and run back to the other side of Mauville if I have to, I know where there are some more bushes," I offer.

"Don't worry, Jolteon," Marill says, smiling. "We're well stocked up just in case this happens. Thanks all the same, but... stay away from the humans for a bit? The last thing we need is another sighting."

"I almost wish I wasn't such a unique Pokémon around here," I grumble. "I'll see what I can do to help out around here instead."

In all honesty though, there isn't all that much that needs doing. The Pokémon here have been at this longer than I have, and are well prepared. I already know many of the berries have curative effects, and as long as we've got a supply we can help each other. I gather humans make medicine with the berries that can do even more, or have their own alternatives, but we can hardly walk into a store and buy them. Those of us with four paws and no hands would find them too awkward to use anyway.

But I gather this shouldn't last too long. Humans think of these kind of events as swarms, and they know they don't usually last beyond the day, so I should be fine to go back to wandering the route tomorrow. Carefully, of course.

Or maybe I should move on? That boy seems to be in this area, and I've got my concerns about him. First this morning and now again in the woods he seemed to know exactly where to look to find me, and that strange, just white smell... I think I might want to go back to travelling Hoenn instead. Seeing more people, places, Pokémon and while I'm at it... avoid getting caught.


	9. Friendship

I spent the night with the other Pokémon again, once again finding it strangely more comfortable to just curl up on the dirt floor than I've ever been in a bed. One of many things I could definitely get used to.

I had a few berries before I left the tunnels this morning, now I'm having my own quiet patrol along the route nearby. There's definitely less activity than yesterday, but more than there was that morning. I can't see the boy I saw this time, but maybe he's just gone somewhere else to look around.

Moving on would probably be best, I've decided. As much as I like the company here, I caused a bit of a stir yesterday, and if the humans realize I stay around this area, it'll only get worse. It's time to move on.

And since the humans seem to prefer to use the established routes – routes made by their frequent use, mostly – I figure if I cut across the more thickly forested area to the south, I'll probably be safer. I might run across someone camping out in the wilderness, but I think I'll be aware of them long before they're aware of me. I'll be safe. I hope.

I'm not alone though – there's another Pokémon who also roams around a lot, like me, who calls herself a Growlithe. She looks, and sounds, a lot like a dog, or a wolf, but very clearly coloured to represent her fire type, like Combusken.

From the early morning murmurings, I gathered she turned up in the night and took a nap with us, but she seems to be wide awake now, and she joins me as I start to head into the forest.

"Not staying?" she asks.

"Too much attention for me here," I answer. "They're nice, but it's time for me to move on."

"I know the feeling. Where do you go, Jolteon?"

"Wherever I want, really," I shrug – or at least I try. That's one gesture I just can't do with four paws. "I just like to explore and see new places. And try not to get caught. That's not something I want to go through."

"It really isn't so bad, you know," she tells me gently, and it sounds like she has experience with this.

"You... you've been caught already?" I ask, pausing, and in the manner of Pokémon like me, turning my head to one side to show curiosity.

Growlithe looks up to the canopy, sitting on her haunches in thought. "My trainer migrated to Hoenn from Kanto," she says after a time. "That's where we met. At first I was wary, all wild Pokémon are when we're first caught. Friendship has to be earned – but we Growlithes are good at friendship and very loyal once it's earned. But my trainer... he was never a very well man. I kept him company, played with him... he told me often that I'd made that time much brighter for him."

"But... he didn't get well and..."

"He passed away," she nods. "He knew he was going. Before he did, he told me to remember him always, but to go out and be free. And so here I am, exploring Hoenn. Just as you are, only I know what it's like to have a trainer who cares. If you're caught, give them a chance, Jolteon. Humans might surprise you. Some of them are bad, some of them are good, but I've never come across one who didn't care about their Pokémon."

"Even so... having to battle because they want me to..." I trail off.

Growlithe shakes her head, "It's part of the covenant between Trainer and Pokémon. They earn our trust and our care, we look after them too and accept that we battle for one simple reason – humans have violent impulses. As long as we trust them to take care of us after a battle, we help them release that in a safer way. We never usually have to mention it... but you're not quite... there's something unusual about you, Jolteon. I can't quite place what."

"Maybe it's the same thing that's been following me for a while now," I say, starting to trot onward. "I woke up one morning a while back with no memory of how I got there, or where I was. I was just... there. No explanation, no memory, no anything... I even had to learn to... to do electric things again."

"Interesting. But that's not the whole truth, is it?" I give her a startled and slightly guilty look, and she laughs, her tongue lolling out as she does. "Don't be so surprised Jolteon, it shows in your voice and your body language for those who know what to look for."

"But if I told you, I don't know what you'd think of me."

"I told you my story," she points out.

"Tell you what," I say, an idea coming to me. "You beat me to that mossy rock over there, and I'll tell you the whole truth."

"And if you beat me there?" she asks, clearly amused by this idea.

"I'll think of something to do while exploring. I only just thought of this."

Growlithe chuckles again, standing up and setting herself ready to run – but waiting for me, I notice. I do the same, and she quickly bounds into action. I follow, but try as I might I can't even keep up with her. I watch to see how she does it, changing my own technique similarly to gain a bit of ground, but she's got too big of a lead. At least I learned something from her though.

"You're not used to running, are you?" she asks when I catch up. She's not even breathless!

"I haven't been a Jolteon long," I answer as I catch my breath.

"Then you were an Eevee recently?"

"I was... something else until recently," I correct hesitantly.

"Only an Eevee could become a Jolteon."

"Normally, I guess that's the case, but me..." I hesitate again, but she already knows, and I did agree to tell her. "Alright, I'm..."

"You're nervous and afraid," she says, picking up on that easily. "Be at ease Jolteon. I will not think any less of you for sharing your story."

"I hope so, because a few days ago, before I woke up like this... I was a human being." Growlithe looks surprised, but doesn't say anything. "I hadn't... exactly been having a good life. I didn't live anywhere near here – where I live, they think we – that is, Pokémon in general – is just a story, something made up. I was kinda in a tight spot, and I didn't have any hope it would change, so I hoped, I prayed for a miracle..."

"And became this," she completes. "You are no longer human."

I shake my head, "No... but I think I like this better. Even if I did almost get caught. I'm... starting to think that maybe that isn't such a bad thing, as long as whoever does catch me is a good person. But it's still a kinda scary idea to think about, especially when you don't even know all the things everyone else thinks I do! I didn't know _anything_ about Pokémon when I went to sleep that night, now I _am_ one, and I'm here in the world of Pokémon..."

"I can imagine that must have been a big change to you," Growlithe observes. "Little wonder you have experienced trouble here. I cannot imagine what it is like to be human, but I know what it is to be a Pokémon. If you wish, I will run with you as we explore, and help you embrace what you are now. You'll be better prepared for anything you encounter."

"Like... even for battles? I have to learn that somehow, right?"

"Of course. But you may wish to defer that. There are not many Pokémon who actually _wish_ to be captured and have a trainer, but of those that do, they choose to leave it to their trainers. It provides a reason to spend time together – a pretext to get to know each other, and form that all-important bond of trust and friendship."

She didn't change how she thought of me. Not a bit. I feel better for telling her, and grateful for her offer to help me. Next time someone starts throwing Poké balls at me, I'll be ready for them!

* * *

><p>Growlithe and I ran for most of the day, and she suggested heading more to the west than just straight south. When we paused to eat some berries, she used a stick, rather awkwardly in her mouth, to draw a crude map of Hoenn, so I had some idea of where I am. There are a few towns toward where we're heading now, little places that aren't far from the coastline, but insulated by a ring of trees.<p>

Looking at even her map, I could see just how far I'd travelled though. When I'd first arrived here, I was close to the centre of this island, now I'm not far from the western edge of it! Four paws definitely makes a difference for travelling long distance!

She also had a little friendly tussle with me. I didn't use my charge, and she her fire, but we kept to just physical attacks at first, then she showed me some tricks I can do even with my fur, making myself look bigger or more threatening. Being a Pokémon is so much more expressive! Even if humans can't understand me, I think I can make myself understood in so many different ways without even needing to say a word!

I don't even think of myself as a human any more. I'm definitely a Pokémon, and I wouldn't have it any other way – not now, not now I've learned how to... well, how to _be_ a Pokémon. Or at least a Jolteon.

It's almost morning now. Even without an alarm, I've started to be an early riser. Growlithe doesn't seem to sleep much, she was still up last night before I fell asleep. Looks like she's napping right now. She let me sleep last night, I'll let her sleep this morning.

I wonder where we'll go when we reach the coast? Explore the coastline maybe? I never really had any destination in mind. Growlithe doesn't seem to either. We just both like to explore this land. I guess because she's native to this... Kanto region more, while for me I'm just seeing it for the first time. Maybe someday I'll get to see Kanto.

"If you're up already, why don't you get some berries," Growlithe murmurs sleepily. "There's a pair of bushes a bit further ahead. It's near another human route, but I've been there before. It's always quiet at this time of morning."

"So was the route I was staying on before I got seen," I say, but Growlithe doesn't say anything else. She'll be fine, she can take care of herself while I go berry hunting. It doesn't take me long to find them and shake a few down, and while I do, I peer out on to the route.

It doesn't look like it's as well-used as the last one. Only two patches of grass that I can see, and I can hear waves. I think I can smell sand, which is still strange to me, I didn't even know sand had a smell. It means a beach, most likely.

Only one person seems to be up this early, a boy walking with his Pokémon, a little blue Pokémon with a fin on its head and orange cheeks. It's hard to make out the boy in this low light-

Wait a moment. This isn't possible. How could he have got here so quickly? I can't see him to be sure, but he smells like that boy with the white scent. But still... Growlithe and I ran for almost the whole day through that forest yesterday. But here's here just like that...

I conceal the berries I've just collected and hide under the bushes as he passes, and now he's close enough I can make him out better – it's definitely him! It looks like he's headed west, toward the coast, like us...

Once he's past me, I use a few large leaves to fashion a kind of bag to carry them in and head back to Growlithe. There's no point in worrying her about this. Maybe he'll go through the forest without ever coming close to us.


	10. Capture

The woods here are starting to change a bit. The trees are spaced further apart in places, making natural paths, and there's thick undergrowth and grass along them. It's not a surprise to see a couple more humans here, not after seeing that boy head this way. It looks like he's not the only one passing through this neck of the woods.

Growlithe's experience is useful too now there are more wild Pokémon showing up. There are a lot of bugs here, and they keep clear of her because of her fire. I've seen a few Shroomish around here too, but they blend in very well with the grass.

"We should slow down," I suggest. "We don't want those humans seeing us. They'll probably react like the ones before."

"Up by Mauville?" Growlithe says. "I doubt it. These ones have eyes only for bug Pokémon. There's a place in Kanto just like this – Viridian Forest, the humans call it. Full of bugs. Every time we went there, the humans I saw came in three varieties – those that ignored us, those that were distracted by the bugs, and those that wanted to battle. They're no threat to us."

"Your trainer wasn't a bug fanatic," I point out. "He went there. There might be trainers like that here too."

"Probably, but we'll smell them long before they find us," she replies. "This grass is just like the grass there, thick and heavy. Even if we run through, we'll be too well concealed to be noticed."

"You've done this before, haven't you?"

"Naturally. I've seen most of the land parts of Hoenn, but humans have habit of changing things, so I keep exploring. Besides which, exploring it with someone who's totally new to the realm makes everything new again for me."

I can't see Growlithe because of the grass, but I can hear and smell her, along with other Pokémon around. I can't yet tell them apart by scent – although I can tell different scents apart, I haven't been around them long enough to start telling which scent belongs to which Pokémon.

She pauses, the sound of grass rustling stopping abruptly, followed by the sound of sniffing the air. I sniff too, but I can't smell anything that seems like it should warn me of anything. Maybe she has a better nose than me?

"Trouble?" I ask quietly.

"Human," she answers. "He has an unusual scent."

"Sort of white?"

Silence. Maybe she's thinking about it? Then, finally, "Now that you mention it. How did you know?"

"I saw him when I got the berries this morning and caught his scent then. I've seen him before too. Can we avoid him?"

I can only assume Growlithe is considering that as she falls silent again.

"Follow me," she says finally. "We'll cut across their paths."

The grass rustles loudly, and I hear at least two human voices that sound as if they noticed. I have to follow quickly or I'll lose Growlithe, once she clears this patch of grass it won't be so easy to hear her.

I burst out of the grass to an area that's more like a lawn than a forest floor, seeing a startled human flattened against a tree staring after Growlithe as she disappears between some trees. Man she's got a turn of speed to her! The human gets startled again as I bound past, but he doesn't make a move for me.

Once in the trees though I'm in trouble. I can't see or hear her at all. Maybe she just went straight ahead? I'd stop to pick up her scent, but I'm awfully exposed still... after going past several trees I slow and look around, making sure I'm better concealed and stop to try and find her scent.

There are lots of other Pokémon around, but none of them match hers. Did she turn off somewhere? Do I chance going looking, or call out? But if I call... humans can't understand us, to them we just sound like we're howling or something, and I haven't seen any Pokémon like me. My cry would be recognised. I can't chance that.

I don't like this. I feel nervous all over again, and I can feel my fur responding to that. I hope I don't upset any local Pokémon. There's a Shroomish wandering past, examining leaves in detail, eating some of them. It has to have seen me, but it doesn't seem bothered, except to avoid me. If it's not afraid... maybe I'm safer here than I thought?

Something rustles in the trees above, and being on edge, naturally I look and listen. There's a bird there, blue and red, and it's watching Shroomish... who hasn't noticed. It edges up and down the branch, turning around to get a better look, while Shroomish continues to look and eat leaves. I could give this bird a jolt, but... there aren't any other Electric types here. I'd be giving myself away...

It leaps off the branch diving for Shroomish, who's completely unaware! "Look out!" I call, making Shroomish leap back in surprise, but I don't think it's far enough! I can't jolt the bird, but maybe... "No offence meant," I warn quickly as I run forward to pick up Shroomish, startling the little guy again. Rather than try to carry her, I tackle her aside. The bird either didn't change course in time or didn't change enough, it slams into my side and sends all three of us tumbling.

But now I've got more trouble – startled and probably afraid, Shroomish scattered spores in the air when I hit her, and now she's shaking and there's more in the air! Some of them are definitely the poison ones May's Shroomish tried to catch me with, but others smell completely different, and I've...

I've... got some... in my fur...

What... I can't... I feel so sleepy...

But Shroomish... I have to stay awake... the bird's coming back...

Gotta squeeze... have to help... did I get it? I don't... too sleepy...

* * *

><p>I wake slowly, hearing the sound of grass around me and the sound of something being sprayed. I want to scratch an itch on my side, but I feel so lethargic still... I don't have time for this – what happened to Shroomish – and the bird?<p>

I get groggily up to my feet, stumbling slightly and yawning. It's definitely the same place I was before I fell asleep, but there's no sign of either of them, just a blackened patch on the ground... right... I must have... been a bit excessive-

"Feeling better now?"

I freeze. It's a human voice, right beside me! And – it's him again! I back up, growling warningly.

"Hey, easy there," he says soothingly. He's kneeling on the ground, and there's some kind of empty bottle with a spray top beside him. "It's all right," he tells me. "I took those sleep spores out of your fur and used an Awakening to wake you up again." He gestures to the empty bottle. An Awakening? The odd emphasis he gives it makes it sound like a curative item-

Oh no. Did he... I look at his belt. Three Poké balls, red on top, white on bottom, just like the one May threw at me. Think, when I saw him this morning, how many were on his belt? Did I even get a look?

He sees me looking and points to the third, "This one's yours, but I thought you'd like to wake up where I found you. Help you ease you through the shock."

He did! I've... I'm... I... belong to him... I'm a trainer's Pokémon. It... actually happened. This isn't how I imagined it happening – I didn't even want it to happen at all, what am I thinking? He caught me while I was sleeping – while I had no chance to escape!

Still... I can't... really blame him. I know I'm a rarity here in Hoenn, and being caught in my sleep... it spared me the scare I had when May tried. He _is_ a trainer, and he at least looks and sounds like he cares...

But Growlithe's words yesterday come echoing back – friendship has to be earned. I have to put him to the test. To see if this care and attention lasts, or if it's just a passing thing. I turn my back on him – well... I suppose now that's turning my tail on him! I turn away though, and start walking. Maybe I can find out why Pokémon stay with their trainers if they don't want to be with them, but nothing seems to happen.

I hear a clink behind me and the rustle of fabric, likely him tidying away that spray bottle, then his footsteps following. I could run, but somehow... I don't want to.

"I know you probably don't like me very much right now Jolteon, but I want to be friends with you, if you'll give me a chance. Here, I'll show you my other Pokémon. They'll be your friends too."

I've heard that before... before I became... could those voices I used to hear be... premonitions? Hearing the voices of people and Pokémon now? I pause in thought, giving him a single glance, and he takes that as my answer.

He takes the first ball on the belt, sets it on the ground and touches the button on the front, releasing the Pokémon inside in red light that forms into the little Pokémon I saw with him this morning. It's barely half as tall as me, making him tiny compared to our trainer!

"Hi!" he says brightly. "I'm Mudkip!"

I bite back the urge to say what even I heard when I was human, that tired, overused line I'm sure everyone thinks of when they hear his name.

Next to him, he lets out the second Pokémon. This one seems more humanoid, blue but with darker legs and ears, and a black band around its head and eyes. He stands about as tall as I do, but doesn't say anything.

"He's Riolu," Mudkip chatters. "Joshua was given him while he was still in an egg, but he hatched really recently, and now he's travelling with us, just like you!"

Well, at least Mudkip's lively. He doesn't seem to have any problem with our trainer... this... Joshua.

"Jolteon," I say, still wary. Riolu just nods.

"I'm glad you're all getting along so well," Joshua says. "They're your friends too now, Jolteon. If you like, you can all stay out of the Poké balls and walk with me through the woods. We're not far from the Rustboro side of the woods."

"Preferable," Riolu says laconically. He glances up to Joshua, who's crouched nearby, then easily leaps up on to his head.

"Always my head," Joshua sighs, smiling. "I'm starting to think you do it on purpose just so you can yank my hair when you want something."

I catch sight of Riolu's wink at me, while Joshua scoops up Mudkip and holds him, then looks to me.

"I'm keeping all four paws on the ground," I say flatly, forgetting he doesn't understand.

"Maybe you'll be happier just walking beside us?" Joshua suggests. "I imagine you love to run. Since you don't have to worry about wild Pokémon any more, and you've got me to heal you if you get into trouble, you could run ahead and look around. I'm sure you'll enjoy that."

I would, but right now I want to stay near him and watch him. I don't think he's a bad person, but I have to be sure, and that means staying around to make sure he doesn't change or something as soon as I turn my back. Tail.


	11. Just a Little Jolt

Joshua seems to be just calm and confident, at ease in any situation. At least where I've seen him so far, anyway. Nothing seems to ruffle him in the slightest. Riolu seems to be very similar, but whenever I look, he's always looking around, less at ease and more on guard.

Mudkip just never stops chattering away, happily sat in Joshua's arms telling me about everything so far while we walk along. We've passed a few humans, but they didn't want to battle – Growlithe's remarks on them seem accurate there, they're more interested in bugs.

"So I was really very little, even more than I am now, and I missed the others a lot, they were my brothers and sisters and friends after all, but we all knew we were going to meet a human who'd take care of us, and we knew that maybe we'd meet each other again out there."

"You were taken away from your family?" I ask from trotting along beside Joshua. It seems a bit crass even for humans to do something like that.

"Oh, we all knew it was going to happen, it was explained to us, we were bred for it you see, since we're rare Pokémon in all regions, and new trainers have to start out somewhere, it's not the same as you wilds of course, but it's close to it, and we all hope for a caring trainer, and when I got to the white place-"

"Laboratory," Riolu interjects.

"Yeah, that place, and I was there with the other ones, the red one and the green one, there were trainers, and they had the choice, and the boy, he picked the green one and the girl who came picked the red one, and that left me on my own, but then Joshua came along and asked if he could take me along with him, and that's how I ended up with him!"

The woodland smells are starting to thin out. Joshua wasn't wrong when he said we were near the edge. It's going to be hard to get over the nerves from being out in the open, but I have to do it. Since Mudkip's chatter has helped even this short part go much quicker, I ask, "What about from there to the forest?"

"Oh that's not as interesting, we went from Littleroot Town where the laba- loba-"

"Laboratory," Riolu corrects with a meaningful look to me.

"Yeah, that place," Mudkip says again. "We went from there on the path to Oldale Town just north of there, and some of the wild Pokémon there attacked, but I listened to Joshua when he told me what we should do, and when I got hurt, he used a potion the first time, but then he didn't have any more, so he had to take me to the Pokémon Centre there so they could heal me, and that was when someone gave Joshua the egg that Riolu was in."

"So some Pokémon come from eggs... I wonder if I did," I say aloud, though I know I didn't. But if I'd been an Eevee-

"All," Riolu says. "Not some."

"It's always like that, even I was an egg once, but that feels like so long ago now, I don't even remember it too clearly-"

"Uh, Mudkip? You were telling me about your journey here?" I remind him gently.

"Oh, right! I got sidetracked by the healing and the Pokémon Centre, they're useful places, they're like hotels for trainers too in smaller towns-"

"The journey?"

"Right. Sidetracked again. Well, after we stayed in the area a little to help get me a little bit better at taking on attackers, we went to the west from there to go to the last town, that was Petalburg city, only everyone thinks it's not quite big enough for a city, but it does have a Pokémon Gym in, but it's not the first one in this gym challenge thing, we have to go to Rustboro City for that, and that's where we're going now, and I think maybe Joshua is thinking of challenging it, he's mentioned that, but he's not sure, so he's thinking that maybe it'd be a good idea for us to get in some more practice in the area before we do."

"Where did you, uh, hatch, Riolu?"

"Outside Petalburg as they left," he answers. "Trained a bit there. Then went into the woods together. Found you."

"You know Riolu that's more words than I've heard you say at once, but of course none of us have really known each other all that long, so maybe that doesn't count so much and – water!" Mudkip exclaims in mid-sentence, startling me as he leaps down on my back, then runs over to the water. It looks like a small lake, coming into view as we clear the forest.

There's a flower store here, with a confusing welter of just too many scents to make sense of. Some berry bushes here too, they look like the same ones on the other side of the woods. I guess they really are just about everywhere.

Humans too, naturally. I see a pair of them in a battle already, calling to their Pokémon. One of them is a Zigzagoon, the other is that little black dog-like Pokémon those Team Magma people had. There's a few others too, but they're either just tending their Pokémon or walking along.

Joshua heads over to the shallows where Mudkip's happily playing around, crouching nearby, but managing to avoid the splashes. I just lay down on the sand, not because I'm tired or anything, but because I don't really have anywhere to go. I could run away, but what would it get me – people trying to catch me again. At least Joshua so far hasn't done anything to drive me away.

Riolu makes his way down in a series of light hops, then sits nearby, leaning against my side. I give him a glance as he does, and he returns it, but I guess I don't really mind. If he shocks himself on my fur though, that's his fault. I can't really do much about it.

"You know I'm glad you're having fun there Mudkip," Joshua says. "But you know there's wild Pokémon in the lake there, and one of them might come on up to nip at you."

"Hello? You have me now," I remind him. "I can give any water Pokémon a jolt."

Joshua, of course, doesn't understand me, but he does hear me.

"No, I haven't forgotten you Jolteon," he chuckles, rubbing my head. "But I'm guessing you still don't trust me yet, and wouldn't appreciate it if I started telling you what to do just yet. You're not really suited for the Gym in Rustboro – they're Rock specialists, and where you find Rock types, you generally find Ground types, which aren't good for you."

"That's why he wants to train Mudkip for a bit," Riolu says to me. "I could do some too, but not as much. Not yet, anyway. I'm still young yet."

I glance to him and say, "I thought you didn't talk much."

"I don't really, but Mudkip does enough talking for the both of us, so I hold back. While he's having fun splashing around though, I don't mind talking a bit more."

"And since Joshua can't tell the difference, until I came along there probably wasn't much to talk about."

"Not really. I was shy at first because everything was new to me, and Mudkip's incessant talking left no room to talk much. Between the two of them, I got over that – but I still don't talk much."

"Hey – Jolteon – there's something in the water with me!" Mudkip calls. "It's blue and red and I don't think Joshua's noticed and – ow!"

Joshua didn't miss _that_ even if he didn't understand. I nudge Riolu to make him stop leaning on me, I don't want to jolt him too, then get up and look. Joshua's taking Mudkip out of the water dripping, but there's one of those jellyfish hanging by a tentacle.

Well, nothing for it. It doesn't look like it'll let go. I squeeze out a light jolt, not quite certain how I aim it but hoping just thinking about it is enough. It hits the jellyfish and makes it start back, letting go and plopping back into the shallows. It also went through Mudkip and a little into Joshua, both of whom give me a reproachful look. I ignore that and send another bolt after the now angry jellyfish, and it hastily retreats.

"And don't come back!" I call after it.

...did I just win my first battle as a trainer's Pokémon? It doesn't feel good though. I used to be a wild Pokémon too until earlier. They would have been my friends...

My jolt doesn't seem to have been enough to badly hurt either Joshua or Mudkip, though he takes out another glass spray bottle and sprays it where the jellyfish had been holding. Some kind of healing spray? It has a similar scent to some of the berries...

Once he's done he picks me up with his hands under my front paws, leaving me just barely touching the ground with my back paws. This feels absolutely ridiculous, and I'm tempted to give him another jolt.

"You know Jolteon, that was the other reason I wasn't going to ask you to pitch in. Water conducts electricity, and accidents like that happen." Accident? I knew it was going to happen, I was just trying to help! "I don't mind much – you did catch me too, and that wasn't a fun experience for me – but maybe keep in mind I do know what I'm doing, and I didn't want to ask you for a reason?"

He finally puts me back down and gives my fur a rub again. I suppose you could call it petting me, and it's not unpleasant. I could get to like it. But that had the impression he wasn't happy about that.

Well, it's shown me he doesn't react rashly. He didn't completely like what I did, but he didn't try to punish me or treat me badly for it. Then he really would have got another jolt. So maybe some good came of it after all. I'm not as unsatisfied as I was about this.


	12. A Challenge

Mudkip's more wary in the water now, and Riolu's helping keep a watchful eye out. He seems to notice the before any of the rest of us do, and I can't figure out how I do it. I still have to take care though, if I hit the water the shock will spread out, and that'll catch others again. As it is, Mudkip keeps treating it like a game – a game of lure the Pokémon out of the water so Jolteon can shock it.

I'm still not completely happy about that though. I'm favouring scaring them off still. Even if it wasn't for long, I still know what it's like to be a wild Pokémon, and turning on them just because I was caught just doesn't sit well with me.

Fortunately the Pokémon in the lake here seem to have caught on and warned each other, so I'm not having to do all that much. On one paw, I'm happy about this – I'm not having to attack them, after all. On the other paw... now I'm bored. Before today I could have gone anywhere, done anything – and now I have to stick around Joshua, who doesn't seem in any hurry.

Since Riolu is watching over Mudkip, and I'm not expecting any more trouble from there, I instead watch the odd human on their way past. Some are just ordinary trainers heading into the forest, either to train their own Pokémon or to catch bugs. Others are the bug trainers from in the forest, and from what I see and hear, they're the ones the others were training their Pokémon on, hurrying into Rustboro to heal their Pokémon. I'm mixed about this, it's nice to see them taking care of their Pokémon, but it's not so nice to know that others caused that.

Growlithe explained that too though. Having been human, and seen it first hand, she wasn't wrong when she said humans tend toward violence. Maybe, as long as Pokémon are around, it's another matter though.

"Hey, that your Jolteon?" a voice asks behind me. I glance and see a young trainer not far from Joshua, with only a single Poké ball at his belt. Even though there's that slight chill in the air from the start of winter, he's still wearing just a t-shirt and shorts! People who can do that even in the dead of winter never cease to amaze me at just how they can stand the cold wearing so little.

"Yes," Joshua answers. "We met only recently, so he's not particularly fond of me just yet."

"Got him in a trade, huh?" he asks, apparently jumping to conclusions. "Guess you must have, you can't get 'em wild here at all."

"No, he was wild. Maybe a trainer let him go free. I can't exactly ask him."

"And I wouldn't tell you even if you could," I murmur to myself. Riolu gives me a curious glance at that. I keep forgetting Pokémon have better hearing!

"Pull the other one, who'd just turn out a Jolteon! Them and all the others what evolve from Eevee, no one just gives 'em up, not without reason!"

Joshua just shrugs, "It's not my concern. He had to have been wild, otherwise the Poké ball wouldn't have been able to catch him." Now that's interesting. They can recognise the difference between a caught and a wild Pokémon?

"I guess you gotta point there," he admits, still looking at me. It's... kind of making me feel uncomfortable. Then he speaks up again, "I'd love to have my own Jolteon. Hey, I know! I'll challenge you for him!"

He's insane! He's got only one Pokémon to Joshua's three, including me, and he wants to battle for me like I'm... I'm a trophy? I'm not standing for this. Joshua looks like he's about to say something, but he doesn't even get started once he sees me approach and growl. If this kid wants a fight, _I'll_ give him one!

"No." Joshua doesn't say it loudly, but it's definitely intended for me. I'm not going to back down now though and ignore him.

"Doesn't look like he's listening to you," the kid says with a certain amount of satisfaction. I'll wipe that smirk off his face. "Looks more like he's challenging me all on his own. Is that what you want?"

I just answer with a small jolt, not aimed at him or anyone, but just close enough that he jumps back, startled.

"You think that's funny?" he demands. "Well, I'll show you!"

At last, he lets out his own Pokémon – a tiny little thing that looks like it's made out of metal. I've never seen a Pokémon like it. Stubby little legs and a few holes over it's body. Well, it doesn't look like a Ground type.

"Aron," Joshua says, looking concerned. "Mudkip could have-"

"Yeah, but your Mudkip isn't the one who decided to take me on," he cuts Joshua off. "Alright Aron – lets kick up some mud!"

For a tiny little thing it manages to do just that with surprising swiftness! It manages to get mud on my side, but that's not gonna be hard to shake off. If it was my face instead – I'd have been left blinded and open!

Since I'm already quickly circling him to avoid the worst of that, I bunch up and fire parts of my fur again, like I did when I met May. They just clink off that metal armour of his though – I should have expected that, I suppose.

"What, you think _that's_ gonna hurt?" Aron's trainer snorts. "This'll be too easy! Go for a headbutt!"

Don't count your Pokémon before they hatch. I'm just getting started, figuring out what works and what doesn't. Aron launches for me, again startling me at how quickly he can move on those stubby legs. I kick back at him with my back paws and send him tumbling away. He seems to retreat into that armour shell of his like a turtle.

Aron lands on his back and flails a little to right himself again, then with nothing said by his trainer launches for me again. This time I'm more ready for him and send a jolt at him, meeting him in mid air and sending him tumbling back once again. Not a Ground type then.

While he's still getting back up after that, I make a quick dash in and tackle Aron – that armour is tough stuff! He doesn't even rock back from the attack, but it definitely left me with an ache, I'm not going to be doing that again.

Aron gets told to throw up mud again, and this time I'm too close to evade it. I quickly paw the worst of the mud out of my eyes, but I still listen intently and hear him coming in for another attack and turn to kick at him again.

One paw misses entirely, the other felt like it only just clipped him, but I hear him hit the ground again, and I orient on that and send out another shock. Did it hit? I still can't see through all this mud! I can't hear anything though, so while I think it's safe, I carry on getting this mud off me.

"I don't believe it." It's the kid's voice. There's a sound that I think is him returning Aron to the ball and a lot of footsteps, then hands on me, helping clear my eyes – naturally, it's Joshua. "You didn't even say a thing to him."

"I don't think he'd have listened even if I had said anything," Joshua says. "But maybe I wouldn't have needed to... you're certainly very bright, aren't you?" he says to me. I just shake myself and scratch at my side to get more mud off. "Go on over and ask Mudkip to wash you down," he tells me. "I'll check you over in a moment, make sure you're alright." Then to Aron's trainer, "I'd ask if you're satisfied, but-"

"No need to ask. You gotta good Pokémon there. I kinda envy you for that, but I guess... Jolteon stuck up for you there. I only wish..." he trails off. "Well, I better head up to Rustboro, get Aron healed up. I'm outta items to heal him up with. Them bugs in the forest don't do much to Aron, but they still wear him down eventually. Used the last one as I left in case anyone challenged me, but I wasn't expecting to get challenged by a Pokémon – let alone trounced by one!"

Joshua reaches into his own pack nearby, while Mudkip quite happily throws water at me to wash me down, even Riolu since he's helping too. Well, it's a bit of harmless fun, so why not join in myself? I manage to hear through the splashing the clink of glass and the ball again, catching brief sight of Aron standing back up again, back to normal. His trainer and Joshua talk a bit more, but I only catch one word, and I'm not even sure I heard it right – something about a Pokénav?

Then he goes on his way and Joshua rejoins us, watching for a little before taking out a towel to dry off Riolu. An idea forms in my head, and I can't help myself. I shake myself dry, flinging water out everywhere. Mudkip doesn't care of course, and Riolu's already wet, but Joshua tries to shield himself from the worst of it. He doesn't seem bothered by it.

"You know, I should have expected that of you," he chuckles as he dries Riolu, and for the first time I see what might just be a smile on Riolu's face. "But you know, that was a bit reckless of you, challenging him on your own like that," Joshua continues. He pauses to make sure Riolu's dry, then beckons me closer.

He checks me over like he said he would, and where I slammed into Aron he takes out another spray and coats the area, making it feel better to me, then dries off some areas I missed and carries on talking.

"I'm surprised of course," he tells me. "You're definitely quick on your paws, and watching you gave me an idea of what you can do. Maybe you'll be able to help at the gym after all. You might not have realized it, but when you kicked him, it did a lot more."

"He means you used a fighting-type technique," Riolu says. "Double Kick. It's good for rock, ground and steel types. Aron's both Steel and Rock."

"No wonder I finished up so quickly," I say. "I didn't even know."

Joshua finishes up with me and rubs my head a bit saying, "Try not to get too wet again now. I know you'd probably love to shake water all over me again, but we ought to move on soon. It's not much further to Rustboro, and I'd like to stock up on potions and the like to keep you all healthy while we're travelling."

I can't argue with that. It'll be nice to go about in a city without having to worry or resort to tricking people like I did in Mauville. Joshua's starting to ease my doubts about him too, he definitely cares. And I did win a battle for him, on my own.

Rather than take to Joshua's head again, Riolu walks alongside me for a while, looking thoughtful but not actually saying anything.

"Thinking about what I said?" I ask. Riolu just nods. "It's nothing against him, you know. I've only told one person since coming here, and she was a wild Growlithe. Technically."

"Technically?"

"She used to have a trainer, but when he passed away he wanted her to go and be free," I explain. "She was good company. Lost her when I tried to help a Shroomish that a blue bird Pokémon was going for, and that's when you found me I guess."

"You could tell us," Riolu says. "What you told her, and what you don't think you'd tell Joshua if he understood."

We walk along not saying anything for a time, then decide that maybe it wouldn't really hurt. "I used to be human," I say at last. "I woke up here in Hoenn as what I am now, just wild, and wandered around for a bit. Now... now I'm trying to adjust to the idea that I'm..."

"That you're owned," Riolu completes. "But still free at the same time, you know. Joshua let you do what you wanted back there."

"I know. I didn't want to be caught at first, and when I found out I had been, I didn't know what to think. I'm still a bit wary about all this. But Joshua's starting to change my mind about it. Maybe it's not so bad after all."

Riolu pats my head, then flashes a sly look and says, "You know Jolteon, in time I might evolve, and if there's one thing I know about my evolved form, Lucario, it's that every Lucario learns to speak human. I could tell him you know."

"You wouldn't dare!" I know he's teasing me, it shows too clearly, but there's no other response.

"Catch me if you can then!" Riolu responds, running ahead a ways.

As long as I get some fun too... what's not to like?


	13. Back to the City

The rest of the way to Rustboro City isn't so eventful, besides playing tag with Riolu. Mudkip seems more content to stay with Joshua, but this isn't surprising. He doesn't seem as swift on his feet as we are.

I'm nervous all over again just as we walk into the city, just like Mauville. This place doesn't seem as busy, and naturally it looks very different – in a way, it seems to almost reflect the Rock type gym that's here.

My nerves aren't made any better by the constant envious looks I'm getting. I know it's Joshua they're envious of, but it's because of me. Here in the city though I notice Riolu seems just as uncomfortable – maybe he's a rarity here too? Neither of us stray far from Joshua while we pass through.

Joshua pauses at a blue-roofed building that seems to be one of the main centres of attention here, a sign outside confirming what the scents – and the noise – inside have already told me. This is where they stock what I can only think of as Pokémon medicine. It's hard to smell the medicines themselves in their glass bottles, but with so many of them together it's hard not to think they're made from berries.

One of them definitely doesn't smell anywhere near as good as the others, but from my lower viewpoint and with so many people around I can't get a clear look. Riolu sees me looking though and climbs up on my back to look.

"Repels," he reports laconically. "I heard a few Pokémon complaining about them back in the woods. Trainers use them to help keep wild Pokémon away. Useful when their Pokémon are in need of healing."

"With a scent like that, no wonder they were complaining!" I remark fervently. "And this is while it's _inside_ the jars!"

There's other shelves with other goods on – not all of them Pokémon-related, but a lot of them are Pokémon-themed. Those that are related, I notice have little signs beside them. One looks like a blue boxing-glove, another a bird's wing, and yet another a heart.

While Joshua's waiting in the queue for a checkout, I paw at his legs until he notices, then attempt to get his attention to these signs. It takes a while for him to get the idea – not being understood is a pain! - but eventually he catches on.

"Oh, those?" he asks. "They represent the gym badges. Some goods are regulated by what badges you have. See here-" he points at a shelf of Poké balls. "-I can get normal Poké balls without a badge. But next to them, the Great balls, which are better, I'll need the Dynamo badge for, which is the third gym. You have to challenge them in order, which means I'll have three badges by that point. Of course, I'll need all eight Hoenn badges if I want to enter the Hoenn League tournaments. Other regions have their own badges too," he explains after moving up the queue a bit. "Any three badges from any region would be enough. But I'm just starting out, I don't have any yet. You'll be able to help me with that, I hope."

"You really think he understood any of that?" the trainer behind us asks, a tall lass with a Pokémon that looks like a blue blob with a beak and fluffy wings sleeping on her head.

"He asked," Joshua shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to explain. Besides, Pokémon are intelligent. We just can't communicate with many of them."

"Well _I_ think it's silly," she replies airily. "Pokémon don't have to worry about badges or League tournaments. That's for us to think about."

Joshua looks amused, and raises an eyebrow as he says, "And if they ask? Would you stop them from trying to find out if they wanted to know?"

This seems to leave her thoughtful, but we don't get a chance to talk to her any more as a checkout becomes free. I notice while we're waiting for Joshua there's a lot of younger trainers around – okay, so probably not all of them are trainers, many people probably keep Pokémon for the company and friendship, but I'm not yet completely comfortable calling them humans. I might want to stay a Pokémon now, but there's still a few bits of humanity about me, and it feels weird to call other humans... well, humans. Even if I'm not one.

Once we're outside again and on the way through town, Joshua speaks up again.

"We'll probably meet a friend of mine at the Pokémon Centre," he tells us. "It sort of depends on how much of a grouch he is at the moment. If he's really as impatient as he was last time I saw him, he'll need something to take his mind off it, and I know just the thing. You two won't have to worry about that, of course. Just don't mind his being irritable, he says it's his base state of existence." Joshua thinks for a moment and adds, "He's probably right, actually. Most things tend to make him irritable. Anyway, we'll check in at the Pokémon Centre and make sure you're all fully healed up, then I think we'll have some lunch before we go look at the gym. I'd like to see what we're getting into before I decide whether we're ready or not."

"He talks almost as much as Mudkip does sometimes," I hear Riolu mutter under his breath.

"At least he stops for breath," I add. Riolu gives me a sheepish look.

"You've got unwholesomely good hearing, you know that?"

"Blame the ears."

Actually I rather like it. The way I sense the world is much more detailed than before. I don't think Riolu really minded, he just didn't expect to hear me. And I wasn't even trying to hear him.

While we're passing through, I notice there's a much wider variety in Pokémon around here. It isn't exactly clear why, or if this is just because people are here, but I do hear something about a Global Terminal again, and suggestions one opened here recently. What I heard before, while I was passing through Mauville suggests it's the only link between the various regions. So maybe this is why there's more new Pokémon to see here?

Unlike the shop with it's blue roof, the Pokémon Centre is a bright red that sticks out easily – I guess there's no surprise that what sounds like an important place for trainers is made to be visible, but I wasn't expecting it to be so big! It looks more like a hotel than a place to heal Pokémon.

Inside there's two front-desks, with a third unstaffed beside it – that one has computers at, and several of them are being used. The middle desk has 'Healing' above it, and seems to be the most busy of them. Naturally, we have to join a queue again. The last one is 'Inquiries and Information', and orienting my ears on the conversations going on over there, it sounds like my first impressions were correct – it _is_ a hotel for trainers. It costs, of course, but by the sounds of it not all that much – not that I'm exactly familiar with the local currency.

There's also a restaurant off to one side with plenty of seating, even an outdoors area, and plenty of tables and chairs around the rest of the lobby. At one of them, sat by himself disconsolately with a steaming mug is the irritable man I saw with Joshua, back when I saw him in the forest near Mauville. Oddly, he doesn't look like he has any Pokémon, or even any Poké balls.

"You three are going to have to go back into your balls," Joshua tells us. "They can heal you outside of them, but it takes longer, and it looks busy today. It'll be over quicker this way, and we won't hold up people too much."

I don't like that. Mudkip and Riolu don't seem to mind, but not even Joshua can ignore my reluctance.

"It's only for a little while," he reminds me gently. "I'll let you out again as soon as it's over."

So? It's a Poké ball, and it's mine, and I didn't want it. It's not been long since you caught me, and I'm not completely convinced yet. I can't really communicate that to him, but I suppose I don't have much of a choice, and at least I'll only be there for a short time.

Still, I suppose I have to give him the chance to keep his word, so I submit to this. Everything goes red, with nothing to smell or hear at all, practically no senses at all, then there's the plain again. The one I saw when May briefly snared me. There are trees and bushes dotted around, a small lake, even a few berry bushes – but no red line, not this time. There doesn't seem to be a definable edge to the area that I can find just wandering around.

But I'm starting to think of why this is. When May got me, the red line was the edge of the area, and there was nothing beyond. Maybe these balls create an environment that's best suited to the Pokémon they're used to catch, and they do it even as the Pokémon is trying not to be caught. And then once we're caught, we can travel around in this area as much as we like, and it just keeps it created?

But now I explore a bit, I see this isn't the case. I started at the lake and just went straight ahead, and now the exact same lake is right in front of me. There's boulders and bushes and things that help obscure it, but this area... it loops back. No matter which way I go, I always end up back here beside the lake.

There's nothing to do here though. I can't go and visit Riolu or Mudkip. I could snack on some berries, but if Joshua's planning to see to lunch... it'd be better to leave them for now I think, so if I need them later they're still there. I don't need another wash, not after earlier... and there's no Pokémon here besides me... there's no one here... I can't even tell what's going on outside.

I wonder if humans even know what happens inside a Poké ball? They must have some idea... they look... well, manufactured, from the outside. But I wonder if they know the specifics? Just how lonely it is in here?

After a while there's a slight green glow around me, and the scent of medicines, and I feel a bit better. That must be the healing happening, that means Joshua will be letting us out again soon. I wait impatiently for a little while, then everything is red again.

He waited until after he'd sat down with his grumpy friend first, and Mudkip and Riolu are already out. I was the last one out. Still... he did let us out again. I'm just...

"I don't think he enjoyed that, old friend," the man observes to Joshua. "Maybe you should have left him out, like Ash does with that Pikachu of his?"

"Maybe if it hadn't been so busy," Joshua murmurs. "The cities are always busier, and it doesn't take long."

"You should let him get used to you more before you do that too often," the man says. "I can't imagine what it's like in there, but one Pokémon all on his own..."

"I'm not planning to do it often, just when it's busy," Joshua repeats, while I curl up on the table and Riolu joins me. Mudkip stays sat in Joshua's lap and seems to be enjoying have his head scratched.

"They've been going back and forth like this since they let us out," Riolu tells me. "Not sure I'd trust him to be my trainer. It'd be hard to get along with someone who's constantly irritable."

The man watches us as we talk, then says, "I wonder what they're saying?"

"Probably talking about us," Joshua shrugs. "I'll find out later on when Riolu evolves, but that's a ways off. I'm not worried about it, Jolteon's already shown he's quite adept at making me understand. It's all about paying attention – isn't that what you always say?"

He gives Joshua a look, then sighs, "Alright old friend, you win. You've got me curious. I'll see you about after I decide what I'm going to do about it, and probably poke you if I need a hand."

"Whatever keeps you happy," Joshua chuckles. The man doesn't respond, just draining his cup and leaving.

I'm starting to wonder if there's more to these two than we realize...


	14. Trust

Joshua's made arrangements to stay at the Pokémon centre overnight, and he's got his room key, but he hasn't gone there yet. Instead we're back out in Rustboro, heading through the streets and getting yet more looks. I'm actually kinda starting to get used to it – it's sort of like the kind of attention some people would revel in at school, except it's something of a novelty to be the subject of it myself.

Riolu isn't taking it so well, and has gone back to climbing up to Joshua's head where he feels safer. Being short and low to the ground myself, I think I understand why – he gets to look down on the people who are normally looking down on him. In a good way.

I'm not surprised that he leads the way to the local gym, which from the outside looks relatively plain and ordinary, aside from the giant sign outside marking it as such, along with the details, 'Rock type gym, Leader: Roxanne'.

Inside is another matter. For one thing, no one else has their Pokémon out unless they're in a battle. For another, the inside is arranged in concentric tiers of rocks and stone, the largest outermost one overlooking the others as a kind of viewing area. There's only one path down too, and it looks as if it's meant to send challengers against the gym trainers between the entrance and the lower-most area, which is like an arena. Looks like no one's got to Roxanne just yet, but there is a trainer working his way down – Joshua's friend. So he _does_ have Pokémon after all... he just didn't have one around at the time.

It looks like the Pokémon he has out is making light work of the Rock-type Pokémon here, but it really doesn't like the rocks thrown back at it! I don't know what other Pokémon he has though, he keeps his in their balls. This one looks sort of like an albatross.

We head up to a higher point to watch, perching or leaning on conveniently shaped rocks that give a perfect view. Joshua's friend doesn't seem afraid to use items even in the middle of a battle, but seems to have some odd ideas – at one point the bird faints, and he doesn't return it to its ball, but sends out a little red Pokémon that looks like a chick, while he uses another item on the fallen bird. The chick also doesn't like the rocks, but as soon as his bird is back up, he tells it what to do and is already healing the little chick too.

"Wingull and Torchic," Joshua murmurs. "Interesting combination, and I think I know why he picked them... if I'm right, he'll have to make some changes later on. Looking at these trainers, we shouldn't face too many problems. We won't have to watch out for the rocks as badly as he does – both of them are weak to Rock type moves. But we should be careful all the same. I've got some potions and such to heal you with like he's doing, but I'd rather not have to use them."

His friend continues on, keeping up his healing past the next two trainers and showing a Zigzagoon to be among his own Pokémon. His usual grumpiness doesn't seem to have put in an appearance though, he seems to be taking a leaf from Joshua and remaining calm, though he also seems much more focused.

"Another new challenger?" a voice asks as we watch, coming from another man in white, with a symbol on his shirt, what appear to be a pair of arrows pointing in opposite directions. I saw that back in the shop too – maybe that's the badge for here?

"I'm debating whether we're ready," Joshua replies absently, still watching. "And if they don't feel up to it themselves, we'll train a little bit outside to toughen up. I think they can handle it, but Jolteon's... well, only recently joined us, and isn't completely keen on me yet."

"These are all your Pokémon then?" he asks, looking thoughtfully at each of us after Joshua nods. There's something about this stranger that feels kind of... off. I'm not sure what it is exactly. His lips move soundlessly as he thinks, then says, "Well young master-" and breaks off as Joshua gives him a hard look.

All he says is, "Don't call me that," in a tone that clearly doesn't expect to be ignored, then turns back to watch. "If you're going to call me anything, you should at least ask my name."

The stranger licks his lips nervously and tries again, "Well, uh, sir?" he pauses. Joshua doesn't react this time. "You're in luck, as I, Touru, am one of the gym guides here, and I can provide you with advice and arm you with knowledge! With my help you'll-"

"Oh, that was an interesting tactic," Joshua remarks, feigning to be oblivious. I look back and see his friend is healing his Pokémon again and shaking hands with the last trainer before Roxanne herself. "Oh, sorry, what were you saying?" he says to Touru.

Touru seems to radiate the feeling that this isn't going at all how he intended, hesitating then answering, "Uh, well, I was... offering advice for the gym. It's... my job. Yes. My job. It's what I do. Looking at your team – this is all your team, isn't it?"

Joshua just points to his belt, where our three balls reside.

"Duh," Riolu mutters. "What's with this guy anyway? Joshua already knows what to expect here, he was talking about it on the way here..."

"Humans like to be helpful I guess," I reply, trying to shrug but finding it's something I can't really pull off with four legs and no arms.

"Right, right," Touru says, then continues, "So looking at your team, you shouldn't have much of a problem, none of the trainers here, even Roxanne herself, know any ground-type moves – stands to reason, this is a Rock gym, not a ground one, and that's what you'd have to worry about for your yellow friend there. Water 'em with Mudkip, or fight hard with..." he pauses, fumbling with his pocket. Riolu rolls his eyes and mutters, "You'd think he'd do a little research before bugging us..."

"I already know Riolu is going to be useful down there," Joshua tells him, once again watching his friend challenge Roxanne. It looks like it's a tough battle for him, but as Joshua remarked, both are weak to rock, and this isn't exactly the best place for them.

"Right, Riolu," Touru says, no longer fumbling. "Not sure your Jolteon can do much-" he breaks off again as I give him a warning growl and kick a low boulder with a back paw. "N-no need for that," he says quickly. "I-I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll just... go over there and leave you to it..."

"Strange person," Riolu says. I keep watching Touru though, and when he takes something out of one pocket and starts talking to it, I try to listen in over the sounds of the battle below.

Something about keeping watch, and once again about rare Pokémon. We're not rare, we're just not common in these parts. The rest isn't clear enough to make out, not with the Pokémon down there throwing rocks around!"

Joshua nods and crouches nearby, looking at each of us, then says, "He's won, of course. I expected him to, he's more experienced than I am. But that's not important for us right now. I think we can handle this gym easily. The question is do you think you can though?"

Riolu takes a cue from me and punches a nearby boulder, then quickly shakes his fist sheepishly and says, "Haven't got the hang of that yet." Mudkip giggles, then spits out a short shot of water. Joshua understands the meaning in both cases – who needs words to be understood? All three of them look to me expectantly.

I return the look, then stare at the rock I kicked, which seems to have fallen apart a bit. I didn't really kick it all that hard.

"Well it's nice to know that you can do that Jolteon, but I'd like to know whether you're going to listen to me while we're down there. I need to know if I can count on you."

Okay. I stand corrected. _I_ need words to make myself understood by him, it seems.

It takes me a few moments to figure out how to express my response. The best I can come up with is, though still with reluctance – he did only just catch me today, after all – joining Riolu and Mudkip next to him.

"Thank you," he says simply, rubbing my head. Alright, petting me if you really want to call it that. "Just trust me and have faith that I know what I'm doing. We'll pull through just fine."

He leads the way to the steps carved out of the rock that lead to the first of the three trainers, starting his own gym challenge. I can't see over the edge from here, but I can smell that medicinal, berry-like scent coming from ahead, so I assume Roxanne is healing her Pokémon. I can only hope they understand that having to face tough opponents and potentially losing out is to be expected.

I don't pay too much attention to what gets said, but we're already in the first battle. "Go on Mudkip," Joshua says encouragingly. "I know you can do this."

Our opponent lobs a Poké ball that bounces, sends out a Pokémon that looks more like a boulder with fists, then returns to him. How, exactly, the ball returns to the lad I can't tell – it seems to defy the laws of physics.

This coming from me – a fox-like Pokémon that throws lightning bolts! What would the laws of physics have to say about me!

But all the same I can see Joshua knew what he was doing. The boulder – Geodude, the lad calls it – clearly doesn't like being doused with water, but manages to withstand it and moves in, fists swinging. Mudkip might not be as fleet of foot as Riolu and me, but he's quick enough to avoid that – and without needing Joshua to prompt him, he sends out another shot of water, this time aimed lower. Geodude scrambles for purchase on the suddenly slippery ground, but slips and slides into a rock where it looks dazed.

Joshua takes the advantage by quickly telling Riolu to finish it off, who does so quickly and even with a brief apology to the Geodude. I'm not sure that's necessary myself, this is a gym, and now I understand the purpose of them, I figure the gym trainers must know this'll happen, and so do their Pokémon.

The lad sends out another Geodude, but this one doesn't fare much better. This time though he has Riolu hang back at the end, and tells me, "Go to it, Jolteon. You can do it."

"I don't need extra encouragement," I mutter to myself, but dart in quicker even than Riolu. Geodude swings for me, but I leap easily over its head – although in fairness it pretty much _is_ a head – and kick as I land.

That... wasn't as bad as I thought. He didn't exactly issue commands, though he did tell us what to do. It was more like he helped coordinate our efforts though, working with us, not just ordering us around.

I'd have done it differently myself, but then... I'm on the wrong side of this relationship for that.

"Invigorating," is Riolu's only remark.

We move on to the second trainer, who only has one Poké ball containing another Geodude. This time, Joshua gets Riolu to take the battle instead of Mudkip – a bit of fairness on his part maybe? If that's the case, the next one is mine.

Riolu doesn't seem to find it as easy to deal with Geodude on his own, I notice. His blows are good, but seem to lack power. He's quick enough to dodge most blows landed back, but it's taking longer. Maybe he's not been in many fights where he actually needs those kind of moves?

After a little while, Joshua calls him back and has Mudkip finish this battle, and before he moves on he takes a moment to check Riolu over and make sure he's alright.

"I'm just not good at this yet," he says to me. "I only hatched a short time ago, and even with his help toughening up a bit, I wasn't really ready for tougher Pokémon like them. I _really_ need to figure out how to punch something without hurting my wrists though..."

We move on again to the third trainer, the last one before Roxanne herself, and as expected, Joshua says, "Alright Jolteon – your turn. I know you can do it, just remember that a Geodude is a ground type, and will completely ignore your thunder."

I think that first Zigzagoon I met said something similar to me actually. I don't know why he told me that though – for one thing, I already know a solid kick is going to be a better choice, for another... well, this is a battle between two trainers, and I'm his Pokémon. I'm... meant to do what he says.

I'm still not comfortable with that though.

Once again, our opponent sends out a Geodude – they certainly seem to be popular here! This time it's up to me to take it on, so I head on swift paws into the space cleared between our trainers, not stopping to listen for anything Joshua has to say and again jumping over Geodude – and missing!

For a boulder it's quicker than I thought!

It's not quick enough to strike back though, not before we both manage to turn around and face each other again. I make another attempt, this time darting around it instead of over, but cutting it too close – it manages to hit me this time, catching my flank. I manage to hit back with my other paw, but one by itself lacks the power of both. I'll get it yet though! I'm not letting it get the better of me that easily!

I go in again, trying to feint left and go right again, catching it out this time. It's tough enough to withstand a fairly powerful kick though!

"Alright Mudkip, get ready," I hear Joshua say. I'm not giving up that easily! I just know he's going to ask Mudkip to finish it, but I'm feeling stubborn. "Jolteon, come on back," he tells me.

I ignore him and go in again. I can finish this, I know it. One more feint, looking to aim right but going for another pounce, another solid kick with my back paws, and I know I've done it.

If he's disappointed in me, it doesn't show. Riolu has an expression that's the equivalent of a human raising an eyebrow at me. Once Joshua comes over, Mudkip says, "Aw, you shoulda let me finish it off, you know, for a team win, so we all helped each other do it."

"I didn't hear him," I lie. "I was too focused on what I was doing. I'm not used to having to listen out for a trainer."

Riolu clearly doesn't buy it, giving my ears a brief glance. I guess I must have turned one to hear Joshua and not noticed...

Joshua checks me over where I got hit, but all he says to me is, "I'm happy you won for us of course, but you're going to have to get used to me telling you what to do in a battle and trusting me to know what I'm doing and why. Now we don't we _all_ go see the gym leader and get our first badge?"

You might have caught me Joshua, and I like Riolu and Mudkip. But I'm still my own person, and you haven't yet fully won my trust – or loyalty. Just like I don't seem to have yours yet... Riolu getting help I understood, but I didn't need it. He needs to trust that I can take care of things too...


	15. A Tactical Shock

This lowest part of the gym is even more arena-like than it looked from above. The tiers above make it look like everyone's watching – and they probably are.

Roxanne herself, looking for all the world like she's just come out of a schoolroom – either as a teacher or a student, she looks so young it's hard to tell – seems to be waiting patiently with a faintly amused smile and three Poké balls laying on a tall rock beside her.

Other rocks, either painted or naturally coloured, form the outline of a large rectangle, two smaller ones at either end, and in the middle shaped and coloured like a Poké ball – evidently, the battle area. I wonder if we're allowed to leave it?

"So many challengers reaching me in one day," she remarks as Joshua leads us to meet her. "The trainer's school must be doing better than I thought."

"We haven't actually been," Joshua says. "We've only been in town since this morning, but I thought we were ready, and my friends here agreed, so here we are."

"An interesting selection of Pokémon. I would be most interested to see how you battle with them, and how your style fares against what I myself learned in the trainer's school. Shall we begin?"

Joshua again looks to me, stood beside him waiting. Riolu's back on his head again, and Mudkip in his arms. I know they're behind him all the way, but he and I still have our mutual trust issue to deal with.

I shake myself, give him a meaningful look, then head to where I assume he's meant to stand and wait.

"We don't quite see eye-to-eye yet," I hear him tell Roxanne. "We only met recently, and he's still very independent. But since he's made our choice for us..."

Roxanne nods, taking her Poké balls with her as she also retreats to the other end of the area, almost absently tossing one of them out behind her to release yet another Geodude. Surely there are _other_ rock types than just this ham-fisted head?

From here though I see there are two other rocks with Poké balls on. One has five balls, the other six. So perhaps… perhaps they're tougher teams, for those who've challenged other gyms before hers? Those who come from other regions?

Now there's an interesting though. Gym leaders must have several teams of Pokémon for different occasions. I wonder if there's an order to them, or if you can challenge any one you want?

Joshua joins me and crouches, helping both of the others down to the ground, then says quietly, "I'd like for you all to get a chance at her Pokémon, and I know all three of you have your strengths against her. If you think you need help, or I feel you need it – even you, Jolteon," he adds with a meaningful look of his own. "I'll change you out for another, so you help each other. And try to trust me, Jolteon. I've got a plan for one of her Pokémon, and you're perfectly suited for it. So just trust that I know what I'm doing."

"If you're ready?" Roxanne calls.

Joshua straightens up then says, "Alright Mudkip – you've got the lead! You know what to do to a rock-type!"

"Oh I'm always ready for washing up wash-ups!" Mudkip laughs as he hops in. I can't help but groan at the terrible pun in that, or feel a little sorry for the Geodude as the narrow beam of water is sprayed-

-at a rock behind it. That thing is even quicker than the one I faced! It darted behind the rock, and now it's lifting it and throwing it at Mudkip! Fortunately Mudkip sees it coming and moves out the way.

"Go wide," Joshua calls. "Like we did when we found that swarm!"

"Swarm?" I ask, looking at Riolu, who shrugs.

"No clue. Must be before I hatched. Mudkip didn't mention it to me," he replies.

Mudkip soon explains by demonstrating, first moving around to try to lure Geodude away from thee rock concealments it can use, then instead of a tightly focused water beam, it's a broader spray instead. It doesn't look like it has the same kind of power behind it, but Geodude definitely didn't like that, and it's been washed away from the rocks. It still manages to get to one before Mudkip can spray again, but this time it's Mudkip using the rock as cover, and Geodude didn't see which one he went behind.

"Ahead three, left one," Roxanne calls out. She must have seen. I suppose it's useful to have a trainer to help in ways like that… Geodude lobs the boulder toward the one Mudkip's hiding behind.

"To the left, hit high on the rock!" Joshua commands quickly. Mudkip responds, darting out on the left side and shooting water at the rock hurled toward him. He keeps it on the rock as it slows and carries on descending, then carries on using the water to push the rock back into the startled Geodude, who gets picked up with it and thrown up against another rock! That's gotta hurt!

Roxanne seems to agree, withdrawing Geodude and… replacing it with another one.

"Nicely done Mudkip. Now, Riolu – lets take the fight to them!"

"Maybe this time I won't hurt myself punching it," Riolu mutters to me as he darts off, while Mudkip happily skips back to us.

"That was fun!" he tells me happily. "She looked surprised when the rock came back to see her!"

"Wouldn't you be if water you sprayed came back to you?" I ask.

"Well sure, but that only happens with a Psychic type, and this is the wrong place for that."

Riolu meanwhile is confounding the second Geodude without Joshua having said anything. All the time he seems to spend climbing all over Joshua is being put to good use climbing the rocks scattered around, then hopping from one to the next and this Geodude can't keep up. It's throwing the rocks after Riolu, but they always seem to reach where he was, never where he is.

Roxanne tries to help by guessing, but Riolu can hear her too, and changes his next leap to avoid it. Soon she catches on and starts calling them as he's mid-leap, though the first few times Riolu just drops back to the floor, watches the rock fly harmlessly overhead, then scrambles back up.

But this time he's stumbled as he landed, and the rock actually does hit him, knocking him off. From our side of the arena we can see him on the ground, the rock rolling away – and not moving. I get up, but Joshua puts a foot in front of me and says, "Not yet. Just trust me."

Roxanne seems puzzled, and Geodude no less so. She approaches warily, threading her way through the rocks to Riolu's side, then looking first to Roxanne, then almost accusingly to Joshua.

"Now!" he barks quickly. Riolu snaps back to his feet and lands a particularly solid blow on the unsuspecting Geodude – it was an act! Now that's a neat little trick he just pulled, and without either of them needing to say anything. Maybe it was Riolu's idea and Joshua figured it out. Geodude certainly wasn't expecting it and gets sent flying from one blow after another. He appears to try a kick at one point, but it doesn't look like he's really got the hang of that yet. It gives Geodude a chance to try to swing back for him, but he catches the fist, takes hold, and then like the other Geodude, throws it into another nearby rock. Once again, Roxanne retrieves her Pokémon, looking impressed but rather perturbed.

"Brilliant work, Riolu – now, Jolteon, you're up!"

Finally. But what I'm going against isn't a Geodude. This is a different Pokémon entirely. It looks like an ambulatory rock with a giant nose, and it's using it to point northwards, towards us. I know it's precisely north because I can feel that, although I'm still unclear on exactly how. Probably something to do with electromagnetics, and the field I can sense around it.

"Alright Jolteon – hit the rock to it's left with a good shock!"

"What?" I'm so startled by how strange this sounds that I'm not the only one saying that either. But he did say to trust him… I can't afford to hesitate here. This had better do something good, Joshua.

I tense, take aim – or at least what feels like taking aim, I'm throwing lightning bolts after all – then let loose the jolt he asks for, snapping through the air with an appropriate rumble. The rock gets chipped a bit by the impact – and the Pokémon's nose follows it!

Oh, _now_ I see! It's electromagnetics again – my shock has it's own electromagnetics, and – thank you again Brendan and your Pokédex! - I'm charged with negative ions. That nose must be charged positively, so naturally it attracts!

It doesn't last very long though, but it also doesn't move very quickly – and I do. While it's still rotating back toward north, its stubby little arms flailing with it after the sudden turn I gave it, I brush past on one side while it's facing away, then as I seem to do so well, give a good kick with my back paws, making it fall over.

It stays on the ground before seeming to be dragged back up by the nose and tries to orient on me, but that magnetic nose stops it getting too far.

"Right behind you," Roxanne tells it. It slides across the ground to a rock, picks it up and appears to judge.

I quickly glance to Joshua, who doesn't seem to have anything to say – maybe he just wanted to reveal that little trick to me. Fortunately I've thought of a way to make use of it too now. Just as it starts to heave the rock, I throw another jolt at it, sending it spinning wildly and the rock flying way off the mark. Even before the jolt is finished, I run for it to give it a kick – and mistime it, as the swinging sends its nose slamming into my side.

It had a fair bit of force behind it, but I'm wise to that now. I time my kicks better to avoid it happening again, and before long it faints, still pointed north but this time not being brought back upright.

And I don't even know what I just beat, except that it was some kind of magnetic nose rock.

"Aren't you glad you listened to me?" Joshua says as he and the others join me mid-arena. "I knew you'd be able to put it to good use. Let me just check where it caught you, make sure you're fine."

"What was that one?" I ask Riolu while Joshua takes out another item from his bag and sprays it on me. "I didn't recognise it."

"Beats me," Riolu says, then says, "Well, you beat it actually, but you know what I mean."

"Those were some… unusual tactics you employed there," I hear Roxanne saying. "Quite remarkable in their effectiveness. I certainly wasn't expecting your counter to Nosepass."

"There you are," Riolu says. "Nosepass. Aren't humans helpful?" he adds with a smile.

"I had a few ideas after I watched my friend challenge you right before. That and a little knowledge about Nosepass and their magnetic noses."

"Indeed. I shall have to remember to watch out for electrical attacks in future. Perhaps sometime you'll come back and have a rematch against a tougher team – but for now, take this with you, to prove your victory here today. The Stone Badge is yours."

I was right! It _is_ the gym's badge. And we just earned it. Together. With Joshua's help.

...I wonder if he plans to challenge other gyms on his way? And if they have tougher teams for tougher trainers… we should get some nice challenges coming our way. And plenty of chances for Joshua and I to put aside our issues.


	16. A Diversion

As we leave the gym, I notice two things. First I see Touru, the gym guide who bothered us, is watching us closely. It's hard to say why he's so interested, but it doesn't look like he's impressed or anything of the sort.

The other thing I notice are voices outside.

"...here he comes," one says.

"Better be worthwhile," the second mutters.

I stop and growl by the door, putting myself between it and Joshua, but also keeping my ears firmly fixed at the voices outside.

"You hear something?" Joshua asks, while Riolu scrambles down.

"He's sharp," Riolu notes. "What is it?"

"There are some people out there who sound like they're waiting for him," I reply.

"Why's he stopped?" the second voice wonders.

"Shut up he'll hear us!" the first hisses.

Both Joshua and Riolu glance toward the door, then Joshua simply murmurs, "I see. Thank you for warning me..."

And then he walks out anyway, followed by us.

The two I heard are hiding just behind the door, just out of sight to anyone who wasn't forewarned somehow. Yet they don't look remarkable – they look like just another pair of trainers to me. Both with two Pokémon, judging by the balls at their belts.

"Can we help you?" Joshua asks in a quiet, yet slightly cold tone. When they don't answer, he says, "Jolteon heard you and warned me. You were waiting for me, weren't you?"

I turn at the sound of footsteps and see two more nondescript trainers closing.

"Yeah," one of them says, "We were. Got a problem with that?"

"Never mind that," the remaining one says. "There's someone who wants to see you, now. We aren't gonna have any problems with that now, are we?"

"Cornered," Riolu mutters. "This doesn't look good."

"You're telling me?" I say. "I don't like the look of this, and I don't have a full charge after that fight. I could drop a bolt on them, but..." I glance up to Joshua, who's already looking at me.

"No," he says. "Let it lie, Jolteon. We'll find out what they want, and then if we don't agree it's worthwhile, then you can let them know how you feel."

The last to speak nods and says, "Wise move. Now just come with us and there won't be a problem. We wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt. Just act normally."

What is with these people? Someone wants to see us? Why don't they just ask?

More interestingly, why do the first two, the two behind us, smell kind of… reluctant? Maybe they're not happy about this?

No one gives the four of them a second glance, though Riolu and I get the odd look. I'm starting to get the impression I'm a novelty that's slowly wearing off, people are starting to get used to seeing me with him. But I imagine that'll happen all over again when we go somewhere new…

We're led to a hotel further north in the city, one clearly dedicated for people – albeit ones with Pokémon – rather than serving a dual purpose like the Pokémon Centres. Finally we're taken to a room and the more reluctant duo take us in, while the others remain outside.

There's another man in here. He looks like he's about the same age as Joshua's friend, but wears white and has green hair. He has four Pokémon, and like Joshua, they're all left out. Curled up beside him is a little black and red fox-like Pokémon, while beside his feet a Zigzagoon is playing with a ball. On the back of the couch he's sat on is a blue and red Pokémon – I recognise it as the same one that was eyeing up the Shroomish I saw just before I got caught. Lastly there's an Abra, sat sleeping in a chair.

The man doesn't seem to notice us enter, watching his Zigzagoon play with an amused look. Occasionally he nudges the ball, sending Zigzagoon bounding after it.

"She always brings it back eventually, notice," he says, almost as if he's just carrying on a conversation. "I don't think she even notices."

"Lord N," one of our escorts says quietly, and gets waved into silence. N? What kind of a name is that? And what's with the 'Lord'?

"You could go anywhere in the room with that, you know," this N says to the Zigzagoon.

"What would be the fun in that?" she replies, happy to chase it as he sends it rolling away again.

"It's just a big game to you, isn't it?" he chuckles.

"Lord N, we brought the trainer," the escort tries again.

N looks over at us at last, looking first at me by Joshua's feet, then Mudkip in his arms, Riolu on his head once again, then to Joshua's belt before finally looking at Joshua.

"You don't keep them in Poké balls," he says without preamble.

"I like my friends to be able to see things with me," Joshua replies. "It helps build a better friendship with them."

"And you know I don't like being in mine," I growl. "Putting me in there, you have any idea how lonely it is?"

N waits until I've finished, watching me the whole time, then says, "Yes, I imagine that would rather put you off them, wouldn't it?"

I just stare at him, unable to reply, and by the sounds of it, Riolu is speechless too. Mudkip finds words where we can't and excitedly exclaims, "You can understand us! That's amazing!"

"It's not hard," N smiles. "I rather prefer your language to ours. It is rather more superior, I feel. But we're neglecting your trainer, aren't we?" He looks back to Joshua, some of the smile fading and asks, "Why do you keep them?"

"They're my friends. That and I'm a new trainer, and I plan to visit at least one of the league tournaments in time. But if any of them don't want to take part, I'm not going to make them. Now why don't you tell me why your people made it sound like if I didn't come things would get unpleasant?" There's almost a clear challenge in his voice.

"Did they? That's not at all what I intended. I simply asked them to extend an invitation to visit. I'm afraid they do rather take matters into their own hands. Do you imagine that if you were to let your Pokémon go free they'd still choose to stay with you?"

The sudden question catches Joshua off guard momentarily, during which I hear the sounds of a Pokémon battle happening outside the room.

"I'd like to think so," Joshua answers eventually. Jolteon might not, we only met recently after all, and I get the impression he resents that. Riolu I'd like to say would, I was present when he hatched. And Mudkip-"

"It's more fun travelling with all of you!" Mudkip interrupts. "I'd stay!"

"How interesting," N murmurs, then to me, "Is this so?"

"I didn't _want_ to be caught," I tell him flatly. "I was quite happy to roam at will. But… someone I knew before I was caught told me that we should give everyone their fair chance. So I'm doing just that."

The sounds of fighting outside have broken off, and through the door come two people – it's Brendan and Joshua's friend! What are they doing here?

"Are you alright, old friend?" his friend asks.

"We're fine. We were just having a discussion with N here."

"N?" he murmurs, surprised. "Here?"

"I'm merely visiting the region before I return home," N answers. "There are things Ghetsis felt I should see in other regions before we..." he trails off.

"He's not holding me here," Joshua tells them. "That was just the people who work for them making it look like it."

"You mean we totalled their Pokémon for nothing?" Brendan asks, then sighs. "Well, at least we know you're alright."

"And I know I have another Torchic to worry about," a voice says from the corridor – of course his Grovyle _would_ say that after May's.

"Go on," N tells us. "Perhaps we'll meet again sometime. I'll be interested to see how you feel about your trainer if you're still with him at the time, Jolteon. I think there's something special about you that's just waiting to be discovered."

Riolu finally finds his voice and says, "That's not – he can't _know_, can he? About… well, that?"

"We're not going to find out what it is if we stay here," Joshua says, oblivious. "Come on, we'll get some lunch before we head on to Dewford. Thanks for coming all the same, you two."

Just outside the room, Grovyle is standing guard, stopping the other two who brought us here from interfering. Once we pass, Grovyle follows, and I hear one of the humans remark, "The guy he's with is tough. Be glad _you_ two didn't go against them."

"A little credit for me would be nice," Grovyle says quietly. I love how easy it is to pick up things like that.

"How did he even know?" Joshua's friend is asking up ahead.

"I honestly don't know, and I'm not too concerned. He was just curious really. It's not too surprising to see the odd trainer here or there with one Pokémon out, but people who travel with them all together you don't see all that often."

"But still, right after you get Jolteon, and you haven't even been in the city long. It seems like a big coincidence, old friend."

"Why do you keep calling him that?" Brendan interjects. "Sorry, I don't meant to interrupt, but you've been referring to him as 'old friend' even when we were on the way here, and he isn't that old."

The two share a look, then Joshua's friend awkwardly answers, "It's… a bit of an inside joke sort of thing. He understands why I call him that."

"You could just use my name, Lee," Joshua says mildly. At last, I can put a name to his friend.

"Force of habit by now," he shrugs. "You know, if it hadn't been for running after you like this, I'd have gone on ahead by now?"

"Dewford?" Brendan asks, and they both nod. "Just go back through the woods, there's a regular ferry service now. Some of the other passengers might challenge you to a battle or two, but mind you do it up on the back deck. Mr. Briney doesn't like it when people battle indoors after a few people damaged the ship because of that, and if you do it up front, sometimes it gets in the way of his view. Of course, I think he might be using that to cover for being distracted by it myself," he adds, then after a pause, he also says, "Have fun if you're planning to challenge Brawly's gym by the way. I hear they're renovating, so all their Pokémon are gonna be toughening up while they work."

Lee sighs and says, "Just what I needed. I was trying to remember the way it used to look."

"You've been there before?"

"Something like that," Lee answers, then quickly changes the subject, asking, "By the way, how far ahead of us are you on badges, Brendan?"

"Only four badges left for me to get before I qualify for the League," he answers. "I keep getting slowed down and distracted on the way though. I don't really mind diversions like this, but there's a certain Team Magma that seems to love getting in my way, and whenever I run into May she complains about Team Aqua similarly. Can't really see why, Aqua doesn't seem all that bad. Helped me run off Team Magma over at Mount Chimney."

Brendan heads his own way once we're back outside, hoping he'll see us again. I'm not entirely certain of Grovyle recognised me, he didn't seem to show any sign of it. Maybe next time we meet, I'll ask…

And then there's this N character. He noticed 'something special' about me, he said. He can't be able to tell… can he?


	17. Morning Meeting

Joshua decides that since it's getting late, we'll stop over at the room he booked for the rest of the day then move on in the morning. Apparently he even had the foresight to do something Lee didn't, and get a room for the both of them so he wouldn't have to.

When we get there, Lee pauses for a moment, then giving me a brief look and a sigh, he lets out both of his Pokémon, making them comfortable. I spend a short time examining the room, then steal a pillow off one bed and curl up on it – shortly after joined by Riolu, who seems quite happy to use me as his own pillow.

"You know, if that N does know something, he's not told anyone," Riolu says after a moment.

"Not that we know of, anyway," I add, turning one ear to listen to Lee and Joshua talking to themselves. Lee's absently scratching the head of his Torchic while they look over something on a table – having a lower perspective makes it impossible to tell what! But listening it sounds like a map.

"You're worrying too much," Joshua tells him. "Everything will happen just fine. I _did_ think ahead on this, you know."

"Don't beat me over the head with it, I know I don't make good plans," Lee grumbles.

To Riolu, I say, "I wonder though what difference it'd really make. I don't think anyone could prove I'm human any more."

"You tell me, Jolteon," Riolu replies. "You used to be human. Think about what they'd probably do if they did find out."

I think on that. They're- we're curious creatures. No doubt they'd want to get my take on what it's like to be a Pokémon.

"Of course, you seem to be set on enjoying yourself," Riolu continues. "N might not have seen that. Maybe he just spotted something we haven't yet."

"I can't imagine what. But I guess if anything I'm in the right kinda company to find out."

"You still don't like it though, do you?"

"Of course not," I answer instantly. "But… it's nice to know he's looking out for us. I think… in time, I could get used to this."

"You mean you aren't already? You run on four legs like it's natural for you, and you don't have any problem shocking things. I'd bet that most anyone wouldn't see any more than just another Jolteon."

"I meant being _his_ Pokémon, not that!"

"But they're pretty much the same thing, Jolteon," Riolu persists. "Give him time, and you'll be friends too. Then you're just doing all the things you did while you were wild, just for him, and out of friendship. You won't even notice the difference."

"Except I won't get to go where I want to," I point out.

There's a pause, and in that time, Lee says, "You know I don't like that format, old friend."

"Maybe not, but it's the way it's meant to be done," Joshua replies.

Riolu catches my attention again, saying, "Did you really have that much freedom as a human?"

"As a human? Not really. I had to worry about all the things _they_ did. Money, food, places to stay, jobs… I wandered around a lot, but it was always in the same places, always close to home."

"So is this really that bad? You're still getting to see the world. Joshua will want to see each of the gyms, maybe he'll even go abroad to other places. You'll see more than you used to."

Not long hatched, and already more perceptive than I've been about it!

"I hadn't thought of it that way," I admit. "Maybe it's because I'm still trying to hang on to a few bits of humanity I haven't lost yet."

Riolu asks me to tell him a bit about life as a human to pass the time, then eventually we both fall silent and, like our trainer, settle in to sleep – for the first time as a Pokémon inside a human habitation. Somehow, it doesn't feel the same as just… sleeping out in the wild.

* * *

><p>I'm woken by the scent of berries, though not ones I recognise by scent alone, and someone scratching my head. I'm fairly sure that either my sense of smell is getting better, or I'm getting better at interpreting what my nose is telling me. I can smell Joshua beside me, and I can also tell by the scent that Riolu got up before me and is now up on the table with Mudkip. I can even smell Lee watching over his own Pokémon as they eat. The detail I get never ceases to amaze me!<p>

"Come on, sleepyhead," Joshua murmurs. "I know you probably don't want to, and you're used to getting up whenever you want in the wild, but I'd have to wake you up eventually, and at least this way you get something to eat."

One yawn and stretch later, I finally open my eyes and look about. My nose wasn't wrong. Joshua's sprawled on the floor smiling, and a bowl of various berries is nearby. At least I won't have to go foraging for my breakfast, but I can't help but think I'd almost prefer that. It seems… natural. For a Pokémon, anyway. Maybe I'm finally putting my humanity behind me.

"You know, to reach the ferry we'll have to go through the woods again," Joshua tells me while I eat. "We won't have to go near the place we met, but if you're not comfortable about it, I can always return you-"

I cut him off with a growl and a look. I'm _not_ going back in that ball unless I have to.

Joshua sighs and nods. "I thought you'd be like that about it. But I thought I'd tell you all the same, just in case. Not all Pokémon like to see where they were caught."

"I think you're wrong about that, old friend," Lee calls across the room. "I remember hearing somewhere once that most of them actually prefer it because of the memories it has for them."

No difference there for me, then. Most of my memories aren't even relevant any more, and the more recent, Pokémon ones are of me roaming around at will. The closest I'd come to having a place like that would be the route where May almost caught me – I had more friends there, after all.

Joshua waves a hand dismissively, saying, "Most, not all, same thing. I know what I meant. We can take the downhill short-cut through the woods this time though. It's too steep to go up unless you really want to, but it's a quick way down."

"Then on to the ferry. Should have asked Brendan what times the ferry sails," Lee says. "Slateport after that, isn't it?"

Joshua just nods, then after a moment, "No hurry though. Besides, I think I'd like to stop by that cave just outside Dewford and see about finding a new Pokémon to add to the party."

"You don't need another fighting type, old friend," Lee says wearily. "You've already got Riolu."

"There's more than just fighting Pokémon in there, you know. Aron, Mawile, Geodude, and what I'm after, Sableyes."

Lee gives him a flat look, saying, "Remind me never to try taking you on in a battle. I don't recall them ever being easy to take on."

Once we've eaten and cleaned up, leaving the place the way it was before – it is a hotel room after all – we head back outside and I realize just how early it is – it's only just barely getting light! Did he really have to get us up that early?

Riolu looks like he's already gone back to sleep in his favourite perch, and Mudkip's following suit in Joshua's arms. Lee's Torchic is in the same situation, leaving only me and his Wingull, drifting along just above us, awake.

Still, at least it's more peaceful, and there's not as many people to gawk at me. I hope that doesn't become too common, but I suppose as long as people find it novel to see a rarer Pokémon around, it'll always happen.

Since I'm the only one on the ground, and I'm guessing that Wingull can probably keep up with em with even less effort in the air, I decide to see if I can set the pace and not take so long to get anywhere, bounding on ahead. It doesn't really make either of them speed up a little.

On the other paw, it gives me time to nose about and explore a little. It's still not the same, but I have a bit of freedom this way, and it's not like I'm running away from Joshua. I know the way back to where we left the woods, and just to reassure them that I'm still – reluctantly – his, I stay where he can see me.

This means I have to wait near that entrance, not far from the flower store I saw before, and while I'm waiting I hear a slight rustle in the bushes nearby, and a familiar scent.

"I thought you'd gone your own way," I say to the bush.

"Damn. I thought I'd gone without being noticed," Growlithe's voice mutters, but it sounds like she wasn't really trying. "You know I've been trying to find you since yesterday?"

"Sorry. I didn't really get a chance to find you. Joshua wanted to get on into town."

"I thought that might have happened. I spent yesterday here trying to find out what happened to you. I finally got some idea when I found a Tailow complaining about some yellow Pokémon who'd disturbed her going for a Shroomish."

"Yeah, that was me. I didn't have time to explain to Shroomish what I was doing, so I guess I kinda startled her. There were spores everywhere, then I was kinda dozing off."

"Sleep spores," Growlithe agrees. "Next thing I heard about you was that you'd left the forest in the company of a human."

"Look up ahead," I say, looking toward them. "The one with the Riolu on his head is Joshua. I can't say I'm happy about being caught, but I remembered what you were saying. He's not so bad, and I think I could get over my issues with it in time."

"Have you told your new friends?"

"About being human? Riolu knows. Mudkip never stops chattering, so it's hard to tell with him."

"Maybe listen to Mudkip whenever your trainer catches a new Pokémon. If he chatters that much, you should be able to tell if he knows from that," she advises. "But it's up to you, of course. Do give him a chance though. You look well, and I like the looks of him. I think you'll get on well."

"I imagine it'd be a silly question to ask if you want to come with us, right? We didn't exactly get to see much before I was caught, and Riolu pointed out to me that I'd be getting to see places even with them."

"I'm content to roam at will Jolteon, but thank you for asking. You enjoy yourself now. Maybe I'll see you about in your travels, and I'll get to see how your friendship with him is doing."

As I hear her go back into the bushes and leave, I realize that in a way, she's spoken up for Joshua for me. If she likes him, without even meeting him, only hearing a little about him from me… maybe it's not such a bad thing I was caught by him. The right trainer makes a difference.

It was definitely nice to know she also cares and took the trouble to find out what happened to me.

Now I just have to brave going through the woods a second time, and then find out if I get seasick. I've no idea if I would have before, or if I will now. But four legs should mean I'm more stable on a ship, so I think I'll be fine.


	18. Misinterpreting

The woods are familiar, yet different to me. Coming in from a different direction, and seeing parts of it I didn't before, I can tell it's the same place – but there are fewer familiar sights. My nose tells me much more about the area, and I can picture more or less where we are. Much further west from where _that_ happened.

Joshua wasn't kidding about the steep way down though. There's a path that other humans use a lot that goes uphill, winding back and forth, but there are steeper areas of exposed rock that link them. They just hold on with one hand to control their slide down the slope somewhat – I don't have any hands anymore.

"C'mon Jolteon," Joshua calls up to me. "You'll be fine!"

So he says. This isn't exactly looking to be an ideal situation for four paws, and I don't like the look of the angle. I do have a very good view overlooking at least some of the forest below though – enough to see some of the route people going uphill would follow, and to get a fair impression of where it should go where I can't see it.

"Just put all four paws down and shift your weight, you'll have no problem."

Down that slope? No thank you. I think I'll pass, and follow the human route instead. I hear him wonder what I'm doing when I go out of sight behind the edge of the slope, but I can also hear him not going anywhere while I bound easily downhill the other way. Lee makes a startled noise as I brush past them, then continue on down, only pausing once I'm at the bottom of the next slope, looking up to them expectantly.

"I guess he just wanted to run," Lee suggests. No, I'm just not taking my chances on these slopes!

Once they've joined me I go on ahead again, turning it almost into an impromptu race. They've got the short-cut, but I'm quicker than they are. I can also listen and smell up ahead, following the scents of humans who've passed either way to better tell the best route to take, so it's not surprising I beat them to the base of the last slope, panting a little from the exertion – but it was well worth it. I love to run like this!

"Whatever makes you happy," Joshua chuckles when he joins me, insisting on checking me over. It's like he expected me to get into a fight or something. I'm not going to bother the local Pokémon on my own, and if he's set on catching himself a… what was it again, Sableye? He can do it without me. I'm not going to help make them join him, not his way, and definitely not if he takes a lead from me and tries putting them to sleep first – even if I have myself to blame for that.

Naturally he doesn't find anything so we carry on out of the other side of the woods. I can tell the sea is up ahead, there's no mistaking that salty tang in the air, or the smell of sand. More interestingly, I can actually feel a difference in the air – maybe a storm is coming? I wonder what that'd do for my electricity. Still, if these two are anything like other humans, they'll probably want to stay inside if a storm breaks out.

By coincidence – although Lee remarks that he's suspicious of coincidence – the ferry is just pulling up at the small jetty up ahead, people already queuing to get off. Not many passengers by the looks of it, but it is still early in the morning. It also doesn't seem to be a particularly big ferry, but the ones I'm used to seeing were intended to carry vehicles too – something I've not seen any of here in Hoenn so far, interestingly enough.

Not surprisingly though, all but one of the people getting off have their Pokémon kept in the balls. I don't recognise the Pokémon that are out, except for a trio of Wingulls hovering above the ship. Since neither Lee or Joshua seem to have a Pokédex like Brendan, I can't find out what they are. One of them looks like a dancer, or maybe someone who does yoga, with huge pink pants. The other one looks… well, like a pig, except with a spring instead of a body.

"You know, I wonder what he'll do when they finish the Tidal?" Lee asks. "I mean, if he's running the ferry here..."

"Don't ask me," Joshua replies. "All I did was come here to start my own Pokémon journey. You can ask him if you like, but I don't know if he knows."

Lee's Wingull flies on ahead to the other three, joining in their circling above the ferry. I'd thought they might at least say something to each other, but it seems like they're not chatty at all. The captain of the ship, the Mr Briney that Brendan told us about, sees everyone off personally. It looks almost like he's the only crew he has. But maybe he doesn't feel the need? It still seems a little odd.

One of the nicer things about having a trainer is that I can leave Joshua to handle passage and just go on board. I get a brief remark of, "Don't go disturbing the Wingull," from Mr Briney as I pass, but otherwise I'm left to my own devices. I wonder idly if while I was wild, I could have pretended to be some trainer's Pokémon just to slip on board?

We have to wait a while before we leave, since he's not setting sail immediately, and it gives him time to check over his ship. Having passengers aboard, I'm not surprised. I'm surprised to see Lee quite happy to lend a hand, and even more surprised that Joshua doesn't seem comfortable.

"You don't look well, old friend," Lee remarks in passing.

"I've never actually been on a ship before," he replies. "We haven't even left yet and I'm starting to wonder whether it was a good idea."

"It was your idea to start in Hoenn, you know. And out of all the regions, it's the one with the most water. Maybe you should have thought of this?" It sounds almost like Lee's enjoying this.

"I wasn't expecting to feel seasick, that's all."

I'll grant the ferry is rocking very slightly in the calm waters, but it's not really that bad. I don't know if I ever got seasick before, but I don't feel any different now. Maybe four paws really does help?

Well, I'm not too concerned. I don't know how to help him deal with feeling seasick, and it's still far too early in the morning. Racing them down the hill was fun, but I think I'm going to go back to sleep.

* * *

><p>When Joshua wakes me up again he's looking a little better, but I can also hear the ferry's engines going. I had a comfortable spot near the front so I could get up and have a look at where we are when he woke me – and we're at sea. I'm pretty sure if we'd arrived at Dewford, there'd be something to see.<p>

"Come on," Joshua says. "We've got a challenger who wants to battle. I didn't think it fair to leave you out."

He woke me up just so he can have a battle with someone? Really? I know Brendan mentioned that this happens, but I don't want to go. If it was a gym, somewhere I could test myself against tougher Pokémon – Pokémon who also want to fight – that'd be different. So I just curl back up again and ignore him.

"Hey, don't be like that. It's just a little friendly fight, and I'm well stocked to make sure you're healthy afterwards if anything does happen."

If anything happens? And what about their Pokémon, will you offer it to them too? Like you did that one with the Aron before? The only way I'm going to find that out is if I join with this.

"If it makes you feel any better, you can always go back to sleep again afterwards," Joshua ventures. Well, he could have just let me sleep in the first place, but I can see he's going to be persistent about it until he gets his way. Just to give him an idea of how I feel about it, I deliberately rub against him as I get up and give him a slight shock – nothing big, just a little static. Enough to make him jump.

"Alright, I'm sorry for waking you up," he sighs after the shock. "I can see we're still not completely friends yet, but I guess after only a day, I can't blame you."

No 'thank you' for deciding to do it his way, I notice. I wonder if he'd be this way if I could still speak human? Probably not, since I'd be able to explain myself better, but I guess I'll have to settle for waiting for Riolu to evolve.

Our challenger is one of the passengers, a rather well dressed lady who has a very powerful floral scent to her – and with her, two Pokémon that seem to keep that trend. The Shroomish I recognise, the other one resembles a large sunflower.

Riolu and Mudkip have been waiting for us to join them by the looks of it. Mudkip's looking a little wary of the other two Pokémon, Riolu's expression is hard to read.

"He woke me up for a sunflower and a small bush?" I grumble.

"You're out of sorts," Riolu observes. "Aren't you feeling well?"

"I was doing fine until he decided to wake me up. I wouldn't have come at all if it hadn't been clear he was going to bug me until I gave in."

"I thought you liked a good battle," Riolu says with some surprise. "You looked like it back in the gym."

"That was there and then, this is here and now. Are we doing this or not?" I say to Joshua, who has no idea what I'm saying and naturally misunderstands.

"Just be patient," he tells me. "They're both grass-types, so they'll be more effective than usual against Mudkip. That's why I want Riolu to lead this time."

Riolu pats my flank as he passes, saying, "Just bear with it, I'm sure it won't take long." In response to that, our challenger sends forward the sunflower, with an order that sounds like 'Razor leaf'. It sends forth a barrage of leaves – no surprise there, I guess – which Riolu dodges most of. By the looks of it they didn't cut as the 'razor' part suggested, but he's definitely getting caught by a few.

"Go around behind it," Joshua calls. "Aim high!" Riolu responds by heading toward the rear of the ship, having to hop and jump over ropes and such left around as well as try to avoid the leaves. The sunflower doesn't seem to be able to look that way – like a sunflower, it's looking towards the sun, which makes it even harder for it to hit Riolu. He hits it, sending it stumbling back, which is made worse by the rocking of the ship, and it falls over. Rather surprisingly then, Riolu holds up one hand and shoves forcefully forward – not making contact, but there's the faintest hint in the air that there's something there – and the sunflower, just as it's getting upright again, is pushed back over and down onto the deck.

"Force palm!" Lee exclaims from nearby. "He knows that already?"

"He might have only just figured it out," Joshua throws back over his shoulder. The sunflower doesn't get up, but its trainer doesn't return it to the ball, she just carefully pulls it out the way and asks another passenger to look after it for her until she's done.

"Alright, Riolu, nicely done – let Jolteon take over from here," Joshua says, and then he's crouched beside me and tells me, "Remember what you did to that Aron? The attack that did barely anything? Try it."

What, launching bunches of my fur at it? If my opponent is that Shroomish, then I already know that works, I did it to May's Shroomish already. Sure enough the Shroomish comes forward, frowning at me.

"No hard feelings about this," I say to her. "But he wanted me to join in, and I want to go back to my nap, so I'd like to get this over with quickly."

Shroomish gives me a quizzical look but doesn't answer. Without even bothering to wait to see what Joshua or our challenger says, I turn and take his advice. I launch the fur, just like I did before. Not all of the bunches hit Shroomish, but enough of them do that it's clear I had a significant effect.

Rather than leave it at that, I dart in quickly and just tackle her as she's getting up, no fancy tricks this time, then follow it up with a second round of fur. This time it doesn't get up either.

It was hardly even worth bothering. Joshua, just like last time, has his pack open to offer medicine to the lass who challenged us, but she seems to have been prepared and restores her Pokémon. Since that's over with, I just head back toward the front of the ship again. There are some curious sentiments about me I overhear as a result, mostly about my choice to not go back to Joshua, but by the sounds of it he quiets them with the usual answer – "We only met recently, and he's not too keen on me yet." – and follows.

When he reaches out to me I warn him off with a slight growl. I really didn't want to be disturbed just for that.

"I already said I'm sorry for waking you up, Jolteon," he protests. "Or is this something I'm not getting?"

Sometimes, not being able to make him understand is a real pain. I look toward the rear of the ship, then back at him, trying to make him understand in a simple manner.

"What? Something wrong back there?"

"Riolu, help me out here," I sigh wearily. "I'm trying to make him understand I didn't want to fight."

Riolu thinks for a moment, then wordlessly pats at Joshua to get his attention, makes it look like he's fighting an unseen foe, then shakes his head in negation.

Joshua's expression remains puzzled, then he seems to catch on. "Oh. I see what you're trying to tell me, I think. Waking you up and making you fight? But that happens a lot with trainers, you know. Sometimes other trainers will challenge me. You don't want me to leave you out, right?"

"You know, sometimes it's really hard to make you understand," I say acidly. "You're coming close to the truth and still missing entirely."

"I don't know how else to put it to him," Riolu concedes. "Although..." He looks thoughtful again, then runs off back toward the rear of the ship.

"What's got into him?" Joshua wonders, looking after him, then right after he turns back to me and says, "Well, Lee's back there, I'm sure he'll look out for him. It's you I'm concerned about right now." He sighs then adds, "I wish you'd brought up whatever this is while N was around. He could at least translate for me."

You don't say? I don't really have any other ideas, and I'm curious to see what Riolu's up to, so I just wait and see. After a little while, he rejoins us, closely followed by Lee.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Jolteon," he starts. "But if I understand Riolu's vigorous gesturing and miming, you're upset because you didn't want to fight?"

Finally! I give as close as I can to a nod.

"How did you figure that out?" Joshua asks.

"Mostly by watching Riolu and then asking yes-no questions to narrow down the choices. It does explain why he didn't wait for you after you were done though."

"But we knew it might happen, Brendan warned us about it."

"That doesn't mean he has to like it, old friend. Just think about it. Yesterday morning he was a wild Pokémon, doing whatever he wanted, and then you caught him – while he was asleep, no less. It'll take a while for him to become tame-" Now Lee gets cut off with a growl, and he quickly corrects, "Friendly then. Not tame. You can't expect that to happen overnight."

"But it was just one battle," Joshua says. "And in the gym, there was no trouble then. Except when he didn't listen to me once."

"Maybe he views it differently. Just give him time," Lee tells him. "If he doesn't want to fight, don't make him. He's a person too, you know."

Joshua looks troubled, but he does say, "I didn't mean to push you into a battle you didn't want to be in. I just thought you were annoyed that I'd woken you up before we got to Dewford."

"Thanks Riolu," I murmur, showing I forgive Joshua – this time – by curling up with him instead.

Riolu smiles shyly, then says, "Well, if we can't make one of them understand, at least we can always try the other."

As long as they don't go different ways, at least. It shouldn't have to take getting someone else to interpret me though.


	19. An Angry Ally

Dewford looks more or less as I expected it to be – a small island community, spread out and spacious. There aren't any roads or paths, just tracks in the sand, sometimes well worn to show they've been used a great deal. The houses look like each of them was made for, and probably by, the people who live there.

Only a few buildings are different to this theme – a few hotels, and one building that's startlingly familiar – the Gym, looking identical to the one back in Rustboro. Maybe they're made so they're easy for trainers to find.

Naturally, the beaches are full of people. Even though I get the impression it's close to winter, Dewford is still enjoying much warmer weather, and people are here to enjoy it. There are fishermen further up the beaches, and one of the well-worn paths, as well as several signs, show the way to a cave on the outskirts of town. Up the other way, it looks like a goodly number of people are even surfing – and some Pokémon too!

I wonder if I could convince Joshua to let me try? How would I even get the message across though?

Riolu isn't the only one paying close attention to them, I suspect he's spotted one of the Pokémon I did. It looks like Riolu, but taller, about the same height as a person. Maybe that's a Lucario? How I almost wish one of these two had a Pokédex of their own!

"I think I'll nose about the island a bit before I try taking on Brawly," Lee remarks as the ferry pulls into port. "I'm pretty sure there's more to the place than just this shoreline, and I'd like to see what else is here. Besides, I might meet an interesting Pokémon or two. You're already one ahead of me old friend, I ought to catch up."

"No hurry," Joshua chuckles. "You know I want to check out the cave first, then we'll pay a visit to Brawly ourselves. Maybe I'll be the first to challenge him this time."

Lee snorts derisively, then says, "If you're not done before me, I'll meet you back here. Unless I find you first." He looks ashore then ruefully adds, "I should have stocked up before we left. I forgot there's no store here."

Joshua sighs and starts lending Lee some of his stock while others disembark. We're the last to leave, with Lee's Wingull the last as it gives one cry to those above the ferry before finally gliding down to join him, but at least he isn't going to get into too much trouble.

Unsurprisingly, since the battle on the ferry didn't really take much out of anyone, we don't head to the Pokémon centre this time. It looks a little different here, as if it was made to blend in, but there's no mistaking that distinctive red roof. I'm also not surprised to see Joshua's leading us along the trail up to the cave.

I'm going to have to see about making my intentions known to him again somehow. I _won't_ help him capture another Pokémon. Now if he were going to try to convince them to join him somehow, that'd be different. But the limiting factor, as always, is going to be getting him to understand.

I have an idea, and make sure I'm walking out ahead of him along the way, then when we get close to the cave's entrance, I go off to one side and sit on a rock, watching him. Joshua pauses to scratch my head a little then goes on in without appearing to notice.

I'm not going in after him. Not until he gets the point. I listen closely though. I can hear Joshua's footsteps, and echoes of faint voices in the caves – human or Pokémon, it's impossible to tell. There are other footsteps too, occasional sounds of smaller rocks falling, I can even hear what sounds like sand slithering down a slope.

After a few moments, Joshua's footsteps pause, then I hear faintly, "Where did he go?" Another pause, presumably as he looks about, then movement and, "Did you see?" Pause again, then a sigh and he says, "What's he doing – no, wait. I think I have an idea. He's making a point again."

Maybe the whole thing on the ferry wasn't so bad, he's actually starting to think of these things. A little wait later and he emerges from the cave, quickly finding me exactly where I stayed.

"You told him?" I ask Riolu.

"He did ask," Riolu replies. "I know what you're up to, and I don't really blame you, but I don't know how to help him understand this time."

Joshua leans on another nearby rock and watches me for a time, then he finally says, "I can only guess that you don't want to help me in there. And I think the only reason I'm running into this problem with you is because Mudkip was given to me, and Riolu hatched, so you're the first truly wild Pokémon I have, and since we haven't had time to become friends, of course you don't want to put another wild Pokémon in your place."

I can't really reply – at least not in a language he'll understand – so I settle for nuzzling his hand.

"You've heard me talking though," he says. "Sableye is the only one I'm looking for. If I don't ask you to fight against them, will you at least come with me?"

It's an improvement, but I'm still a bit ambivalent about having to fight other wild Pokémon. But if I don't fight at all, I won't exactly get any tougher, and that'll be bad news for the Gyms.

But I can't really have it all my way, and I'll be able to see how he treats a Pokémon when he catches them, since I slept through that. So I jump down from my rock and shake myself. I'll accept this for now.

Being able to hear and smell what's in the cave makes sight rather pointless, especially since it darkens quickly as we go deeper in. Here and there pools of light come from Pokémon, but they're all owned by other trainers, and not common.

Joshua simply uses a torch instead, probably because none of us actually have any means of providing light ourselves. I guess I probably could somehow but I'd have to learn how, and I don't think there's time for that.

He identifies the various wild Pokémon we see quietly, trying not to disturb them any more than he already is. Not all of them avoid us, and Joshua asks each of us in turn to take them on when they challenge us. I seem to be having a slightly easier time, since none of them like my thunderbolts – particularly with the thunderous echoing they leave behind. More of them start to avoid us after a few of those.

Two of them don't seem to mind, Machops and Makuhitas. Both of them seem to be in a similar mindset to me – testing themselves. There are also swarms of bat Pokémon here, Zubat, but they too start avoiding us after a few well-aimed bolts.

Deeper into the cave the sounds from outside start becoming difficult to hear – but at the same time, I've picked up a familiar scent, a metallic scent that I recall coming from Aron. There's another similar scent, but it feels different.

Even Joshua moves quietly down here, turning down the light on the torch just enough to make sure he's not going to stumble into anything. The wild Pokémon here seem less wary and more curious, in some ways even less inclined to bother us – in fact, they react more like we're bothering them.

Interestingly, Riolu leaves his favourite perch and starts walking alongside me, looking unusually intent. He keeps closing his eyes, but also turning his head as if he's still looking around. Is… this something he can do? Something natural for a Riolu?

Riolu tugs on Joshua's leg to get his attention, then points off to our right. "Are you sure?" Joshua asks so quietly I doubt anyone but us heard, and he just nods and points again. I turn an ear that way and listen, but I don't hear anything. Did he notice something I didn't?

Joshua picks up Mudkip, then whispers, "Stay nearby. I know you two should be fine." I'm puzzled, even more so when he turns the torch off entirely. It's almost totally dark without it on, forcing me to rely solely on scent and sound. I can't hear them, but I can tell where their scents are coming from, and warily I pad along the floor after them, paying close attention to what my sense are telling me. The rough floor of the place would be challenging before, but four paws make it easy, even when I'd normally stumble.

I can also tell Riolu keeps regularly going back to Joshua – I can only assume to keep directing him. I wish I knew how he could tell! I'll have to ask him once we're back outside.

Very briefly I catch a strange scent – somehow it gives me a foreboding impression, but before I get anything more it's gone again. Then, startlingly bright, the area lights up, not from Joshua's torch but from something ahead of us.

"You'll regret this, human!" a voice hisses from the same direction as the light, clearly a Pokémon voice. Joshua quickly flicks his torch back on, turning up the brightness again, and soon we can see the Pokémon ahead of us. A deep purple Pokémon, human shaped, with two bright crystals for eyes and a smaller red one in its chest. Whenever it opens its mouth there are sharp teeth on display. _This_ is what he wants to catch?

"No," Joshua says quickly as Riolu moves between the two. "You won't be able to hurt it. Jolt-" he starts, then quickly recovers. "Almost forgot. Mudkip, you're up!"

"No I'm not, I'm down!" Mudkip quips as he drops to the floor.

"Fool! You listen to him? I'll send you running in terror!" the Pokémon, undoubtedly a Sableye, exclaims. It dashes to one side into the darkness, then reappears and darts between Joshua's legs, slamming into Mudkip from behind. This thing is quick!

I don't like this, but I'm still reluctant to help. Even so… I run forward and catch Mudkip before he hits the stone walls, allowing him to recover quickly and retaliate with a beam of water, without the need for Joshua to say a thing.

The Sableye vanishes back into the shadows, and this time it's Riolu who's sent tumbling, though he recovers on his own, not needing me.

"I could really use your help Jolteon!" Joshua remarks, very clearly sounding concerned.

"Nothing can help them now!" Sableye's voice sounds, followed by what seems almost like a cackle.

Joshua, what were you thinking with this? You know Riolu can't hurt it, and Mudkip can't keep up, and you still want to try this?

"We'll have to work together," Riolu says quickly to Mudkip. "Aim for where I point." Then to me, "If you're willing to change your mind, your own – look out!"

Without thinking I lash out where he points, not bothering with a thunderbolt or anything – but there's a cold sensation that goes right through me, and again Mudkip is attacked. Riolu catches him this time. It went right through me! Just what _is_ this thing? All I know is it's name!

Riolu's back to looking about with eyes closed again. I don't understand what he's doing, but I have to trust him. Joshua's backed himself up against a wall, keeping an area illuminated – clearly he doesn't want to be sneak attacked from behind either!

Then Riolu points and Mudkip sends another beam of water into the shadows – just as the shadows lunge and coalesce into Sableye, now her turn to be thrown to the floor.

"A curse on you both!" she exclaims. "But you'll have to do better than that to get the better of me!"

Sableye retreats back into the shadows again, and Riolu goes back to focusing. Mudkip looks concerned, then says, "Bit of a problem here. I think I need a drink."

"Now?" I ask. "Of all times, now?"

"I'm not just a bottomless source of water, you know," he says a little reproachfully.

Of all the things to happen…

"My turn then," I say. "I'm not happy about this, but-"

"But stop talking and be ready when I point," Riolu snaps. "I can't concentrate with you chattering!"

Must remember not to irritate him when he's under pressure. I keep watching him, unlike Mudkip I don't have to be looking where I'm aiming with lightning bolts. There's a rustle from Joshua so I give him a quick glance – he's put his pack down and left it open, probably for easy access. What stands out though is the fourth Poké Ball he now has, waiting in his hand.

I have a feeling I'm going to regret helping him with this, especially if Sableye holds a grudge.

"Now!" Riolu barks. I quickly shock where he points, and again she starts cursing – but this time she doesn't emerge into the shadows. "Too soon," Riolu berates himself.

For several tense moments I watch him again as he seems to follow something only he can sense, then again he directs me – and seemingly at the last minute, as the shadows seem to burst out with her exactly as I shock back. The sparks from it play over Sableye's groaning form for a moment, then she turns red – Joshua threw the ball at her!

The red light is in the ball, and I feel a surge of pity for what it must be like for her, feeling sorry for having done this – but if I hadn't, what would have happened to Mudkip and Riolu? The ball drops, rocking around, partly due to the uneven floor, but I can only assume also because of her attempting to escape. All the while, the button of the ball glows red – then there's a click, it fades, and Joshua breaths a sigh of relief.

He quickly joins us and checks each of us over, and Mudkip awkwardly manages to get a bottle of water out of his pack. Even he can't miss that cue, and makes sure he gets a drink.

"Thank you for changing your mind," he tells me as well. "I don't imagine you did it without reason, but I'm still grateful. Now, if you three wouldn't mind making a little space, I think it'd be nice to restore Sableye's health, to show there's no hard feelings."

That's only on your side, you know. She'll probably see it differently. We make space as he asks so he can bring her out too. She doesn't look too well, but starts perking up once he uses some of the medicine stock he has.

She seems to get the wrong idea though. "You're letting me go?" she asks once she picks herself up. "Is he? What is this?" she demands.

"Maybe you ought to do this, Jolteon," Riolu suggests. "You're the only one of us who knows what it's like."

"I was trying not to think about it," I grumble, but I suppose he does have a point. "Joshua doesn't force us to remain in the ball," I explain. "Me particularly because I _really_ don't like it in there."

"Does he expect me to just tag along?" she remarks indignantly. "This is my home! I'm not leaving here!"

"It's up to you," I say. "I don't like it any more than you do. He caught me yesterday."

"Then why go with him?"

"Because I feel it's only fair to give him a chance to prove himself, and because aside from him completely misunderstanding me sometimes, he doesn't seem to be a bad person. Even then, I'm still very independent. He doesn't have my trust yet."

Sableye stares at me for a time with unblinking eyes – at least, I assume those gems are her eyes – then she rounds on Riolu. "You! How were you able to tell where I was?"

"Aura," he replies laconically.

"You get used to that," Mudkip says. "He doesn't talk much, but I talk a lot, so I fill the quiet times when he's not talking, but then sometimes he talks a lot, but not very often, and then he's quiet again. Jolteon's a bit like that too, but he talks a bit more than Riolu does, but he's also an unusual Pokémon, but no one seems to know why he's unusual yet. We even met a human who can understand us who noticed that, but even he couldn't tell."

"A human who understands us," she says sceptically. "Are you trying to make a joke out of this?"

"I talked to the human too," I say. "He just said he learned. Anyway, Riolu, I was also going to ask you about what you did. This… aura thing."

Riolu sighs, then says, "Everything has an aura. I can see them. But I'm still learning, and I have to concentrate."

Joshua puts his pack back on, saying, "If you four are done, we probably shouldn't stay here too much longer after that. I don't need anything else here, and if we carry on like that, Jolteon will scare off most of the Pokémon. Lets not disturb them any more than we have to. And just like Jolteon, I'm not going to try to tell you what to do just yet," he continues, this time talking to Sableye. "But if you don't mind giving us a little extra light, and saving the power in my torch, that'd be helpful."

"Helpful, hell, I'm not helping you!" she retorts angrily. Joshua picks up Mudkip, and of course Riolu climbs back up, walks on a ways then shines the torch back at her. "Fine!" she snaps. "But only because I want to see more of this Aura!"

Something tells me that until Sableye's temper subsides a bit, things are going to be a little bit tense...


	20. Making a Splash

**A/N: **Good gravy, what's this? Yes, it's an update and I'm back and trying to write story chapters again. Last year didn't turn out to be a particularly good year for me to find time to write, so lets hope at last I can do something about that this year, with these continuing adventures.

Also go thank Bulbapedia. Without them I wouldn't get nearly as much detail to work with as I'd like to.

* * *

><p>Sableye's foul mood doesn't ease noticeably on the way out of the cavern, leaving her to mutter angrily to herself – mostly about Riolu's newly revealed ability and being caught out by it, though I manage to catch a few snatches about me as well. I don't blame her in the slightest, but then I'm not entirely happy with this either. If I hadn't taken action…<p>

Just as we're coming into sight of the bright light of the cave entrance, I notice another Sableye and an Aron detach from the shadow of a large boulder ahead just as Joshua passes, and our Sableye stops.

"You're leaving?" the other Sableye asks quietly.

"No, I'm chasing moonbeams!" ours snaps. "Of course I'm leaving, why else would I be this far up in the cave? And you can thank the human there for it!"

"You know you did say you wanted to see other caves," Aron points out.

"Not on some passing human's terms!"

"You shouldn't be too hard on him," I put in, and get three hard looks for my trouble. "He's just doing what trainers do. Until they learn to understand us, or they have a Pokémon who can translate, how do you expect them to know better?"

"I thought you didn't like this either," Sableye says, turning on me. "Why are you suddenly defending him?"

"I'm not. I'm just telling you what humans are like. Besides, a Growlithe I was friends with suggested that I should at least give him a fair chance, so I'm doing just that. Maybe it wouldn't hurt you that much to consider doing the same?"

"What would a Jolteon know about humans?" Aron says with a hard note in his voice. "Especially one evolved from an Eevee by him."

Pokémon. Sometimes we seem almost as stubborn and judgemental as humans.

"I was wild before I met him, and I was a Jolteon before I met him. And before that I _was_ human, so I'd imagine I have more insight into what we're like than you do!" I retort.

"What are you two making such a noise about over there?" Joshua calls from ahead. Riolu leaps down and gestures to stop him approaching, leaving Joshua curious, but keeping the other two out of his sight.

"You used to be human," the other Sableye asks sceptically. "You know how insane you sound right now?"

"What do I care if you believe it? _I_ know that's what I was. _You_ asked what I'd know, so I told you."

Our Sableye seems to have been almost shocked into calmness by my rashly made choice to tell them, but finally finds her voice.

"If you're human, why don't you talk to him in Human?" she asks in a much more calm voice.

"_Was_ human," I emphasize. "When I woke up like this for the first time I found I could understand both Pokémon and humans, but I can't speak human. Besides," I add wryly. "Given the shape of my muzzle, I suspect if I tried I'd put myself at risk of biting my own tongue."

Aron snickers. "Funny. Not that I buy any of this mind you. I still say you're out of your mind though."

"Jolteon," Joshua calls insistently. "Sableye. Lets not disturb the locals any more than we have to."

Sableye gives him a harsh look. "You'd want to talk with your friends once more too, you know!"

"Maybe once Riolu evolves you can have him tell Joshua to visit," I suggest. "He mentioned something about his evolved form knowing Human."

"You're a gold mine of information Jolteon, you know that?" the other Sableye says acidly. "Just… make sure you take good care of my sister," he says, glaring at me. "And make sure your… your pet human does too."

I hear Riolu snicker to himself about that remark.

Finally after a few more last words exchanged, Sableye and I catch up to Joshua, who naturally still has no idea what he just missed, and leads the way back out into the light.

"Fascinating conversation," Riolu remarks to me. "You've got a bit of a temper on you, don't you?"

"I'm having a bit of a bad day," I respond. "First he wakes me up before it's even properly light, then again before we arrive for a battle I didn't want to take part in, then I end up doing exactly what I didn't want to-"

"Doing what?" Sableye cuts in.

"Helping Joshua catch you," Riolu replies. "Neither Mudkip or I have ever been wild Pokémon, so Joshua wasn't expecting to have him baulk."

"If I hadn't though..." I trail off.

"You'd have had to," Sableye says with an air of satisfaction. "Mudkip out of water and Riolu's no good against a Ghost type like me. It'd either be that or I'd have taken you on too."

Maybe there's something to what she's saying. It helps a little, but that doesn't mean I like it.

"That's probably why he went for me, you know," she continues. "The humans have a place here, some 'gym' that's chock full of Fighting type Pokémon."

"And Fighting types can't touch Ghosts," Riolu finishes. "If how he handled the last gym with Jolteon is any indication, he'll ask you to participate, but if you don't want to he won't make an issue of it."

"And miss a chance to bully Pokémon bigger than me? Not on your life! But not because _he_ wants me to!"

Riolu smiles faintly and nudges me. "Sound familiar?"

He has a point. So does Sableye, naturally. At least she's calmed down a bit, but she makes me think – was I maybe that difficult to put up with too?

Joshua pauses as we come on to the main beach where all the crowds and surfers are, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand. After a few moments he sighs, "Naturally. I'm going to have to drag Brawly off his surfboard if I want to challenge him, and that'll mean a challenge right out in the open – with a massive crowd watching. Roxanne's gym was fine, but this..."

...is he actually afraid of the crowd more than Brawly?

"Brawly's the one with the orange goggles," Sableye says, surprising us. "What, he comes to train in the cave sometimes. You think I wouldn't know him?"

Now I know what to look for it's easy to pick out Brawly – a tall, blue-haired surfer, naked to the waist naturally, with shorts that match his hair. He looks like he doesn't just train with his Pokémon, but does it together if his body is anything to go by.

A thought occurs to me. It's a little petty, but…

"I think I'm going to get back at Joshua for dragging me into that fight," I say aloud.

"The one on the ferry, or the one with Sableye?" Riolu asks.

"Either one. Take your pick. I'm going to go challenge Brawly for him. He'll have to get involved then, won't he?" I grin.

Sableye cackles. "You're mean. He's just said that crowd watching is going to bother him, and you're still going to do it. I like it!"

"Oh dear," Riolu sighs. "What have we got ourselves into with you two? Go on then, I'll warn Mudkip you're getting us into a battle."

"Excuse me?" Mudkip calls down from Joshua's arms. "I can hear you know! If you want to challenge him you'll want to go down there now you know, he's coming in on a big wave right now, and earlier when we saw him he went right back out after coming in, he doesn't wait around so you'll have to be quick."

"He said that in one breath?" Sableye says, impressed.

"Two, I think," I hear Riolu reply as I start bounding down the beach, leaving Joshua startled behind me. Sure, there's a crowd between me and where Brawly's coming in, but that's no real obstacle – I just have to bound between legs and parasols, buckets, spades, and even leaping clear over a fair sized sandcastle, to the astonishment of those around it.

I'll definitely never get tired of this!

The wave bringing Brawly in crashes down on the beach, spraying me heavily but also bringing his board to a stop just ahead of me. Given all the people pointing after 'that Jolteon that just bolted past!' even he can't avoid noticing me.

I come to a stop in front of him and put on a challenging pose, growling, teeth bared, ready to pounce, and one ear pointed back toward where Joshua is, listening for him. A stream of apologetic explanations is coming as he picks his way through the crowd.

"Just when I thought I'd seen everything in challengers!" Brawly laughs, squatting down to my level. "You want to take me on, all by yourself?"

It's a tempting thought, but that isn't the point of this. I glance briefly back toward Joshua, who's definitely showing that he's not used to running. Brawly catches my glance and makes the connection.

"So you're starting it for him, without even waiting for him? I like your confidence!" He stands up, cups his hands and shouts, "C'mon people, lets make a space for his challenge!" He points of course to Joshua, but winks at me. "And if you're still confident, we can get started without him," he suggests. "Never taken on a trainer's Pokémon without the trainer before – just wilds."

People quickly part to form a human arena, several of them having drawn broad lines in the sand to create a design identical to the one where Roxanne was. Joshua's still coming up the beach, though Riolu's also running on ahead too now. Brawly naturally takes a place at one end of the arena, whistling as he does so. Two Pokémon who I saw surfing with him take places with him.

"Alright Machop – let's show this Jolteon how tough we are while we wait for his trainer!"

"We're taking you on without him?" Machop exclaims, startled.

"I'm starting it for him," I respond. "Better get ready, 'cause here I come!"

I don't, of course. Machop appears to brace himself, expecting an impact, but instead I throw a thunderbolt at him. Despite being ready for a charge, he still manages to dodge deftly, as does the crowd behind him until a little yellow mouse leaps off someone's shoulder to absorb the charge. An electric mouse? What next!

Machop's no slouch though, glancing once to Brawly, who makes a gesture with one hand, then Machop runs for me, raising his arms as he leaps up, hands flat, as if to chop. I hold my ground as late as I dare myself, then quickly dart forward and kick back – only one paw connects, but I clearly hear Machop thump on to the sand unsteadily – and then get a fist slam into my hindquarters, throwing me off! He recovered quickly!

"Nice move, but you'll have to do better than that Jolteon," Brawly calls. "Surfing's all about balance, and if you can't recover quick when you're out there, you're getting dunked!"

Machop is already heading back for me even as I'm getting up again – wet and covered in sand – not a great combination. But I'm not giving up yet – besides, Joshua's not here yet, though it won't take him long.

I stand fast again, letting Machop get close – he doesn't leap this time, but he also doesn't seem to be going for a chop again. I try to avoid him, but I've waited too long – he grabs me by the fore-paws and starts spinning in a circle.

The force of this isn't helping me focus, but he's made a mistake – he's also wet, and I'm an electric type. I throw another bolt out, and this time there's no way for him to avoid it. The water conducts and makes his muscles spasm, letting go of me and throwing me into the sand, leaving a nice trail as I end up where Joshua's finally caught up.

"Gods I'm out of shape," he mutters, breathing hard. "You could at least have waited for me, Jolteon."

"Go get him, Jolteon," Riolu says encouragingly. "Never mind waiting, you can take him on!"

"What are you, my trainer?" I respond, quickly pawing sand out of my eyes before turning and darting back in again. Machop's been waiting for me, but I could also hear him listening to Brawly. Too quietly for me to hear over the noise of the crowds.

Machop's wary of me now, neither of our trainers saying anything while we circle and watch. Brawly must have given him some advice though, surely? Maybe I should have stayed back to hear of Joshua had any bright ideas.

I tense up to launch another bolt, and Machop shifts his weight preparing to dodge again. Maybe I can use this to my advantage? I loose a small one just slightly to the left, forcing him to dodge right, then throw the rest that way, catching him full on. He's thrown back, but like before he quickly shakes it off and starts to get back to his feet.

Going in close seems stupid after what happened last time, but I'm quick and he's still getting up. I tackle him back to the ground, though his arms quickly close to try to throw me off, and an inspiration gives me a new idea. I don't just bite down on one arm, but put a shock through it too, causing him to flinch back – and throw me off again with the other arm, but without the kind of force I had last time. One more thunderbolt throws him back to the ground again, and this time Machop stays down.

"Oh you're not just tough, you're sharp too!" Brawly exclaims. "Never seen anyone take out Machop so brilliantly! Now, lets see if you can take on Makuhita too," he says, gesturing to the other Pokémon, a bright yellow one.

As much as I'd love to handle this challenge solo, that also wasn't the point of this, so instead I return to Joshua and look up at him expectantly.

"Thanks so much," he says dryly. "Now you've put me on the spot in front of everyone. I don't think I've ever been so nervous." He looks over to Sableye, who folds her arms. "No, I didn't think you would. Riolu?"

"Ready and raring to go," Riolu replies, easily leaping down.

"Well, that just means we'll see if the rest of your Pokémon are as tough as your Jolteon is!" Brawly calls from the far end.

It seems like an odd match, Riolu barely taller than I am, and Makuhita about a third of that taller still but must be far heavier looking at it's bulk. Riolu dances clear of a straight-arm thrust Makuhita makes, then ducks under and shoves hard at one of its legs, making it stumble.

"Up the back!" Joshua calls quickly, and Riolu does just that. Makuhita tries to turn and reach, trying to throw Riolu off, but he agilely avoids each arm as it scrambles for it.

"Sand!" Brawly orders, and Makuhita deliberately falls back, trying to catch Riolu underneath. He gets clear, but also gets a fistful of sand thrown in his face as Makuhita rolls over, then thrown lengthwise back as he takes a powerful blow.

"Save your strength, this one is mine!" Sableye hisses, scuttling forward to place herself between Riolu and Makuhita.

"Hey- wait-" Joshua starts, then stops himself. "You know I'm starting to feel like I'm not even needed here."

Makuhita tries to attack Sableye, but just as when I tried to kick her back in the cave, he passes right through her, allowing her to counter-attack with vicious repeated swipes of her clawed hands.

"C'mon Makuhita – knock it off!" Brawly calls. That's a strange thing to hear.

Makuhita changes tactics though, instead of trying to use its whole arm, just using its open fists – and this seems to change something, allowing it to slap Sableye aside.

"Here Jolteon," Joshua distracts me, handing me a small pouch smelling of berries. "Go heal Riolu."

I really don't want to miss Sableye's first fight with us, and a gym challenge no less, but this is kinda important too. Riolu's pushed himself up in the sand to watch, but hasn't gone anywhere.

"She's very good," he says quietly to me, gratefully taking the pouch from my teeth. "And she's been in that cave when Brawly's been training. She knows at least some of his tricks."

Sableye's showing that off, avoiding an attack as if she knew it was coming before it started, then again retaliating with the claws. Then as she avoids an attack that causes Makuhita to stumble, her shadow seems to extend, growing toward it, then under it, and then flows up off the sand to attack Makuhita from behind. Already off balance, it falls to the ground and now it too stays down.

The cheer from the crowd is almost deafening – loud enough at least for me to put my paws over my own ears! But I think it's definitely well deserved. It would have been nice if Mudkip could have taken part too, but on the other paw… Sableye chose to get involved, and fight for Joshua. Alright, without bothering to consult him, but still.

I wonder if I'm still the only one who's actually reluctant to fight outside of these gym challenges?


End file.
